genus Thylacinus
- noun
- /ˈdʒɛnəs θaɪˈleɪsɪnəs/
- Specialized
- The genus Thylacinus includes the famous Tasmanian tiger.
Examples
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Scientists have studied fossils belonging to the genus Thylacinus to understand Australian marsupial evolution.
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Before extinction, the genus Thylacinus was found in Tasmania and parts of Australia.
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The genus Thylacinus is best known for its only living species, the thylacine, which is now extinct.
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Did you know that the genus Thylacinus is now extinct?
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Before extinction, the genus Thylacinus was found in Tasmania and parts of Australia.
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Scientists have studied fossils belonging to the genus Thylacinus to understand Australian marsupial evolution.
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The genus Thylacinus includes the famous Tasmanian tiger.
Synonyms
A group of meat-eating pouched mammals that includes the extinct Tasmanian tiger
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is directly compositional: 'genus' (a taxonomic rank) combined with the proper name 'Thylacinus' yields 'the genus called Thylacinus', so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to that group of species. Although specialized biological terminology, this taxonomic naming pattern is regular and cross-linguistically familiar, making the meaning predictable.
Etymology
Genus Thylacinus comes from old words that mean 'pouched dog', because the animal looked like a dog but had a pouch like other mammals. That's why the name is used for the group of meat-eating pouched mammals that includes the 'Tasmanian wolf'.