Atlas Short-Faced Roo
Sthenurus atlas
🦘
Chordata
Mammalia
Diprotodontia
Macropodoidea
Macropodidae
Sthenurus
Sthenurus atlas
The Giant Short-Faced Kangaroo — Sthenurus atlas was the heavyweight of the short-faced kangaroo lineage, an immense, upright browser that dominated the Australian Pleistocene plains. It was built for strength and stability rather than speed, towering over most of its relatives with a calm, imposing presence.
Description
Sthenurus atlas — Known as the Giant Short-Faced Kangaroo, this extinct species was the largest of its genus, belonging to the family Macropodidae, within the order Diprotodontia and infraorder Macropodiformes. It had a short, deep snout and small front paws for grasping branches, combined with thick hind limbs and a massive tail used as a tripod for balance. Adults could stand up to 2.7 meters tall, with a shoulder height around 1.8 meters, and a length of roughly 3.2 meters, weighing as much as 240–270 kilograms. Its leaf-eating dentition and strong jaw suggest a diet of tough shrubs and semi-arid woodland vegetation.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
220
1.8
2.7
2.7
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Omnivores – Balanced
Hunt History
Early Aboriginal Australians may have hunted Sthenurus atlas for meat, hide, and bone. Its large size and slow gait made it a prime target, and archaeological evidence suggests that human arrival, combined with environmental drying, contributed to its extinction. Fires set to manage landscapes may have also reduced its preferred browse. Cut marks on bones from associated deposits show signs of butchering with stone tools.
Archaeological Evidence:
Lake Callabonna, South Australia — Nearly complete Sthenurus atlas skeletons preserved in clay beds dated to ~45,000 years ago, some showing life-like postures.
Cuddie Springs, New South Wales — Stone tools and Sthenurus bones found together, dated to ~36,000 years ago, showing possible human interaction.
Naracoorte Caves, South Australia — Extensive Sthenurus fossils in cave deposits from around 42,000 years ago, overlapping with early human settlement.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
40000
BP
Late Pleistocene
Australia
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
5
Est. Renderable Fat
11
kg
Targeted Organs
Visceral & subcutaneous
Adipose Depots
Visceral/subcutaneous (general)
Preferred Cuts
Visceral depot
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
3