Microscopic analysis of the developing dentition in the pouch young of the extinct marsupial Thylacinus cynocephalus, with an assessment of other developmental stages and eruption

Abstract

Luckett, W.P., Hong Luckett, N. and Harper, T. 2019. Microscopic analysis of the developing dentition in the pouch young of the extinct marsupial Thylacinus cynocephalus, with an assessment of other developmental stages and eruption. Memoirs of Museum Victoria 78: 1–21. A pouch young of the extinct dasyuromorphian marsupial Thylacinus cynocephalus was examined histologically to study the stages of the developing dentition during the pre-eruptive period of development. Both deciduous and successional stages of tooth development were examined, and these were compared to later stages of development and eruption of the teeth in Thylacinus and with selected developmental stages of other dasyuromorphians. Our analysis shows that the development and eruption of teeth in Thylacinus is most similar to that of dasyurids with only two premolars, such as Dasyurus and Sarcophilus, rather than the dasyurids with three premolars, such as Antechinus and Sminthopsis.