What period of geological time did Thylacoleo carnifex inhabit before its extinction?
Answer
The Pleistocene epoch
Thylacoleo carnifex was a prominent member of the Australian megafauna that roamed the continent during the Pleistocene epoch. This era is characterized by the presence of very large mammals prior to widespread extinctions. The creature disappeared from the fossil record approximately 46,000 years ago, marking the end of its reign as an apex predator just as human settlement became established across the continent, situating it firmly within that late prehistoric period.

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