The genus Nimbacinus contains two species of carnivorous, quadrupedal marsupials in Australia both of which are extinct:
- Nimbacinus dicksoni Muirhead & Archer, 1990[1]
- Nimbacinus peterbridgei Churchill, Archer & Hand, 2024[3]
| Nimbacinus Temporal range: Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Skull and mandible of N. dicksoni | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Dasyuromorphia |
| Family: | †Thylacinidae |
| Genus: | †Nimbacinus Muirhead & Archer, 1990 |
| Type species | |
| Nimbacinus dicksoni | |
| Other species | |
| |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Like all thylacinids, Nimbacinus dicksoni was a dog-like marsupial, though its smaller size makes its appearance more comparable to that of a fox. Unlike its relatives, its jaws were likely strong enough for it to take down prey larger than itself.[4]
The name of the genus combines Nimba and cinus, derived from a word meaning "little" in the Wanyi language, indigenous peoples associated with the Riversleigh fossil site, and the Ancient Greek word kynos, meaning dog.[1]
Taxonomy
The description of N. richi was published in 2000 by researchers Peter F. Murray, working at the Museum of Central Australia and Dirk Megirian of the Northern Territory Museum.[5] The holotype is fossilised material excavated at "Top Site" at the Bullock Creek fossil area, a partial left dentary with a premolar and several molars that is dated to the mid-Miocene. The specific epithet commemorates Tom Rich, who introduced the authors to the site of their discovery.[5]
References
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