Tindale's Short-faced Roo
Sthenurus tindalei
🦘
Chordata
Mammalia
Diprotodontia
Macropodoidea
Macropodidae
Sthenurus
Sthenurus tindalei
The Scrubland Short-Faced Kangaroo — Sthenurus tindalei was a mid-sized but strongly built species of short-faced kangaroo that roamed the arid and semi-arid regions of Pleistocene Australia. It was named in honor of Australian anthropologist Norman Tindale, whose fieldwork helped illuminate the ecological landscapes these great marsupials once inhabited.
Description
Sthenurus tindalei — This extinct species of kangaroo belonged to the family Macropodidae, within the order Diprotodontia and infraorder Macropodiformes. S. tindalei was slightly smaller and more gracile than its giant relatives such as S. atlas, but it shared the same upright stance and broad face typical of the genus. Adults likely stood around 2 meters tall, with a shoulder height near 1.4 meters, and a body length of about 2.6 meters, weighing roughly 150 kilograms. Its anatomy suggests a slow, bipedal walker that used its thick tail for support, feeding primarily on shrubs and leaves in dry woodlands and open scrub.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
250
1.6
2.5
2.5
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Omnivores – Balanced
Hunt History
Like other large kangaroos of the Sthenurus group, Sthenurus tindalei likely came into contact with early Aboriginal Australians. It may have been hunted using fire drives and group ambushes near scarce water sources or dense vegetation. Though direct cut-mark evidence is limited, human arrival and landscape burning likely reduced food sources and contributed to the species’ disappearance.
Archaeological Evidence:
Lake Callabonna, South Australia — Fossil-rich clay beds with articulated Sthenurus tindalei skeletons dated to ~45,000 years ago, showing exceptional preservation.
Naracoorte Caves, South Australia — Remains from several Sthenurus species, including S. tindalei, dated between 40,000–42,000 years ago, indicating coexistence with early humans.
Cuddie Springs, New South Wales — Fossils of short-faced kangaroos found with stone tools, dated to ~36,000 years ago, suggestive of indirect human interaction.
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
12.5
kg
Targeted Organs
Visceral & subcutaneous
Adipose Depots
Visceral/subcutaneous (general)
Preferred Cuts
Visceral depot
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
3