BIAN3011 3 Marsupials up to the macropods

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BIAN3011 3Marsupials (up to the macropods)
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Orders of the Infraclass Metatheria

• Ameridelphia
• Didelphimorphia Opossums
• Paucituberculata Opossum-rats
• Australidelphia
• Microbiotheria Monito del Monte
• Dasyuromorphia Carnivorous marsupials
• Peramelemorphia Bandicoots
• Notoryctemorphia Marsupial mole
• Diprotodontia Kangaroos, possums, koalas

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Microbiotheria
The only non-Australasian order of the
Australidelphia
Only one living species Dromiciops
gliroides Monito del Monte From Chile
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Australasian marsupials
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Syndactyly
kangaroo
koala
Bones of toes 2 and 3 reduced, adpressed, joined
together in same external digit
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Diprotodonty
An enlarged, procumbent pair of lower incisors
(usually the only pair)
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
cf. polyprotodont several pairs, none enlarged
or procumbent
Swamp wallaby
Tassie Devil
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Order DasyuromorphiaCarnivorous marsupials

• Family Thylacinidae
• Thylacine (Tasmanian tiger, Tasmanian wolf)
• Family Myrmecobiidae
• Numbat
• Family Dasyuridae
• Tasmanian devil, quolls, antechinus, sminthopsis

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Thylacinidae

• One recent species, Thylacinus cynocephalus
• In historic times, Tasmania only
• Prehistorically, known from mainland sites

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Thylacine skull
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1
1
3
4
No marsupial has a real carnassial perhaps
because of their extended eruption sequence
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Myrmecobiidae
An ant-eater Formerly from western Victoria to
southwest of WA Eliminated by fox predation

• One recent species, Myrmecobius fasciatus, the
  numbat

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Snatched from the jaws of death
The numbat is one of the few marsupials that is
diurnal
The numbats last populations in the southwest of
WA have been surrounded by fox baits. Their
numbers have greatly increased, and they have
been reintroduced to places where they had become
extinct
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Dasyuridae

• 69 species at last count
• Largest is Sarcophilus harrisii, Tasmanian Devil,
  7-9 kg
• Smallest is Planigale ingrami, Long-tailed
  Planigale, 4-6 g

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Sarcophilus harrisii
Tasmanian Devil
Until mid-Holocene, found on mainland Competition
from dingo?
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Skull of Sarcophilus
Very heavy molars, especially posterior one which
resembles hyaenas carnassials Only 2
premolars 4124 / 3124
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Dasyurus quolls6 species Australia and New
Guinea
Dasyurus viverrinus Eastern quoll Formerly from
whole southeastern Australia Now only
Tasmania Fox predation?
Dasyurus maculatus Tiger quoll or Spotted-tailed
quoll Still found in southeast (mainland and
Tasmania)
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Antechinus
10 species eastern Australian woodlands
Semelparous (meaning that the male generations
dont overlap) Breeding occurs (with great
violence) in late winter, then all the males die
Antechinus agilis
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Antechinus have multiple births And NO
pouch (just a fold of skin)
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Sminthopsis
21 species desert and semi-arid grasslands in
Australia and S.E. Papua New Guinea. Many
species store up fat in tail in dry season
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Skull of Sminthopsis leucopus
Typical of skulls of all the smaller
dasyurids Carnivore habitus Low condyle Sharp
cusps on cheekteeth 4134 / 3134
Incompletely ossified bulla
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Tiniest marsupials
Planigale gilesi
Ningaui timealeyi Not known until 1975 because
they do not enter enclosed traps
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Order Peramelemorphia

• Bandicoots (including bilbies)
• Several families, including
• Peramelidae (mainly Australian,
  woodland/grassland)
• Peroryctidae (mainly New Guinean, rainforest)

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Very primitive skull
Syndactylous
4 complex 3 simple pointed molars premolars
Long canine
4-5 incisors (4 in Echymipera)
3 incisors In all
4 complex molars 3 simple premolars
Long canine
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Peramelidae
Perameles bougainville Western barred bandicoot
Perameles nasuta Common long-nosed bandicoot
Isoodon obesulus Southern brown bandicoot
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Peroryctidae
Rhynchomeles prattorum Seram bandicoot
Peroryctes broadbenti Moresby bandicoot
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Thylacomyidae
Macrotis lagotis Greater bilby
Macrotis leucura Lesser bilby Extinct perhaps
its burrowing sites were taken over by rabbits
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Chaeropodidae
Chaeropus ecaudatus Pig-footed bandicoot Extinct
since 1880s
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Order Notoryctemorphia
Notoryctes typhlops Marsupial mole Sandy deserts
Syndactylous Huge digging claws No external eyes
or ears
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Order Diprotodontia

• Vombatiformes
• Vombatidae
• Phascolarctidae
• Diprotodontidae
• Thylacoleonidae
• Phalangerida
• Various possums and gliders
• Macropods (next time)

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Vombatidae
Lasiorhinus barnardi Northern hairy-nosed
wombat Epping forest, C.Qld.
Vombatus ursinus Common wombat Woodlands of
eastern Australia
Lasiorhinus latifrons Southern hairy-nosed
wombat Nullarbor
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Common wombat skull
Lophodont molars
A single pair of incisors in upper as well as
lower jaw ALL teeth grow from persistent pulps
Lasiorhinus have long postorbital processes
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Phascolarctidae
Phascolarctos cinereus Koala Like a wombat, only
upright, and above ground-level
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Diprotodontidae
Diprotodon optatum Rhino-sized Extinct when?
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Diprotodontidae (contd.)
Palorchestes azael Marsupial tapir
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Thylacoleonidae
Thylacoleo carnifex Marsupial lion (or
-leopard?)
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Phalangeridae
Trichosurus vulpecula Brushtail possum
Spilocuscus maculatus Spotted cuscus Cape York
Peninsula, but mainly New Guinea
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Brushtail possum skull
3 1 1-3 4 / 2 0 1-3 4
Molars simple, bunodont
Secator
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Burramyidae
Cercartetus nanus Eastern pygmy possum
Burramys parvus Mountain pygmy possum Described
as a fossil (by Robert Broom) in 1894 Found
living in 1956
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Acrobatidae
Acrobates pygmaeus Feathertail glider
Distoechurus pennatus New Guinea feathertail
possum
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Tarsipedidae
Tarsipes rostratus Honey possum Coastal heath of
southern WA
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Pseudocheiridae
Pseudocheirus peregrinus Common ringtail possum
Petauroides volans Greater glider
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Greater glider skull
Pseudocheirids are selenolophodont marsupials
3134 / 3134
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Petauridae
Petaurus breviceps Sugar glider
Gymnobelideus leadbeateri Leadbeaters
possum Mountain Ash forests, Victoria
Dactylopsila tridactyla Striped possum FNQ and
New Guinea