Eight complete skeletons of prehistoric marsupial lions are among an astonishing menagerie of megafauna fossils discovered in a hidden cave in Australia's outback desert. Only partial skeletons have been found before. [...]

Most of the fossils were uncovered in dry and dark conditions ideal for their preservation. In fact, so well preserved that Long was able to extract samples of DNA from the pulp cavity of one of the marsupial lions (Thylacoleo carnifex, as well as other soft tissue, hair and even blowfly remains, all of which have been sent to a laboratory in the UK for molecular analysis.

Scientists hope the extracted DNA might help settle a debate about whether marsupial lions are descended from possums or from wombats - a hotly debated point in megafauna evolution. [...]