The remains of an ancient dwarf lion were discovered in Australia

We're used to the fact that animals of antiquity were bigger than their descendants. But there are exceptions to this rule: palaeontologists found the remains of an ancient lion, which was the size of an ordinary domestic cat.

The discovery of this previously unknown species belongs to scientists from the University of New South Wales; they discovered the bones of a small marsupial lion. It's worth noting that in recent years the team  found remains of animals previously unknown to science. At first, the palaeontologists thought they had found a close relative of Priscileo roskellyae (another type of dwarf lion); unfortunately, it turned out both animals have many differences.

Despite its modest size, the predator was quite dangerous, primarily due to its incredibly powerful jaws. The animal was also able to climb trees, so its diet was quite diverse, including birds, snakes and even animals with good armour.

However, like Priscileo roskellyae, the species Lekaneleo roskellyae disappeared. Their decline began about thirty-five thousand years ago. What caused the evolutionary failure remains a mystery.