Palorchestes parvus (marsupial 'tapir')

3D Model

Palorchestes parvus, or the marsupial ‘tapir’, is an extinct mammal of Australia. This specimen is from Chinchilla, a Pliocene-aged (3 million year old) deposit in southeast Queensland. It represents one of the many (now-extinct) ‘megafauna’ of the time.

The teeth are (from front to back), a premolar (the more triangular-shaped tooth), followed by four molars.

The individual was quite old at the time of its death (judging by the degree of toothwear).

This specimen was found with the assistance of Julien Louys (Griffith University), Lloyd Beasley (Rotary Club of Chinchilla), and Andrew Rozefelds (Queensland Museum). Special thanks to Nate Siddle for assistance in producing the model.