Neither a wolf nor a dog, as what it appears to be. More closely related to the kangaroos and the wombat, the Tasmanian Wolf is the largest carnivorous marsupial from Tasmania, as what its name suggests.

Its Latin name, Thylacinus cynosephalus, means a “pouched dog with a wolf’s head”, which reflects its appearance. Scientists say that the Tasmanian Wolf’s similarity to unrelated species is a result of “convergent evolution”.

Convergent evolution suggests that specie develop the same features as other unrelated specie due to factors like environment and ecological niche. In the Tasmanian Wolf’s case, it resembles a dog because it performs the same ecological niche as true dogs do in Australia.

However, Tasmanian Wolves are already extinct. That means their species is already gone. It is believed that it has been extinct for 65 years. Its extinction was caused by human actions. Being a carnivore, the Tasmanian Wolves are said to be a threat to their livestock. That is why they ordered the animals hunted.