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Volume 27.1
January–April 2024
Full table of contents
ISSN: 1094-8074, web version;
1935-3952, print version
Recent Research Articles
See all articles in 27.1 January-April 2024
See all articles in 26.3 September-December 2023
See all articles in 26.2 May-August 2023
See all articles in 26.1 January-April 2023
Michael Archer. Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre (PANGEA), School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia; m.archer@unsw.edu.au
BA (Princeton Univ.), PhD (University of Western Australia), AM, FAA, DistFRSN, FRZS, FACE, FWAAS. Previously Curator of Mammals at the Queensland Museum, Director of the Australian Museum in Sydney, Dean of Science at the University of New South Wales. Research includes: World Heritage mid Cenozoic fossil deposits of Riversleigh, Queensland; Eocene Tingamarra deposit, Queensland; Miocene deposits in New Zealand; paleoconservation initiatives to save endangered living marsupials; deExtinction research to revive the extinct Gastric-brooding Frog. Over 320 scientific publications including 15 books and supervision of over 90 PhD/Hons research students. Additional background: http://www.pangea.unsw.edu.au/people/academic-research/michael-archer
Pippa Binfield. Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre (PANGEA), School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia; pippa.binfield@outlook.com
Pippa Binfield is a BSc Hons graduate from the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, at the University of New South Wales. pippa.binfield@outlook.com.
Pippa completed undergraduate palaeontological research on Australian mammals from Riversleigh and central Australia, and described the Miocene marsupial species Barinya kutjamarpensis. She is currently a science reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Commission in the Asia Pacific Region.
Suzanne J. Hand. Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre (PANGEA), School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia; s.hand@unsw.edu.au
BSc Hons (University of New South Wales); PhD (Macquarie University); FRZS; FRSN. Suzanne is a vertebrate palaeontologist at the University of New South Wales where she teaches zoology and geology. Her research interests are largely in the areas of evolutionary biology, functional morphology, phylogenetics, and biogeography, with a special interest in fossil and modern mammals, particularly bats. She co-leads research of the World Heritage-listed Riversleigh fossil deposits of northern Australia and the Eocene Tingamarra fossil deposits of Queensland.
Karen H. Black. Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre (PANGEA), School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia; k.black@unsw.edu.au
PhD (University of New South Wales). She has developed a research profile in marsupial evolution, taxonomy, morphology, phylogeny, ontogeny and biocorrelation, and has named many new fossil species. Her work focuses on understanding faunal change and community structure in Australian ecosystems to provide new understanding about current and future climate-driven changes in biodiversity. Karen has 12 years experience in extracting, curating and analysing the rich fossil vertebrate faunas of the limestone deposits of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area in northwestern Queensland. She is a recipient of the Australian Academy of Science's Dorothy Hill Prize for research in the Earth Sciences.
Phillip Creaser. Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre (PANGEA), School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia; philcreaser@grapevine.com.au
MSc Geology, Australian National University. Formerly a member of the Federal World Heritage Unit, Canberra, and Director's Assistant at the Australian Museum, Sydney. Research focuses on the geological and palaeontological resources in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, Queensland, and the geological context of the Eocene Tingamarra deposits in Queensland. Currently co-managing a program to permanently label all of the more than 200 fossil localities in the Riversleigh area.
Troy J. Myers. Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre (PANGEA), School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia; t.myers@unsw.edu.au
Troy J. Myers is a Research Assistant and Senior Preparator in the PANGEA Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, at UNSW Sydney. t.myers@unsw.edu.au. BSc Hons & PhD (University of New South Wales). He has a research background in the systematics, morphology, palaeoecology, taphonomy and biocorrelation of Australia’s Oligo-Miocene marsupial and Cretaceous marine reptile faunas, and has more than 20 years’ experience in the extraction, preparation, curation, management and research of fossil collections, including from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area in northwestern Queensland.
Anna K. Gillespie. Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre (PANGEA), School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia; a.gillespie@unsw.edu.au
Anna K. Gillespie is a Research Assistant and Senior Preparator in the PANGEA Research Centre, PhD (University of New South Wales). Her doctorate focussed on marsupial lions recovered from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area of Australia. She has been one of the chief preparators of the Riversleigh WHA fossil material since 1992. Her fields of interest include the evolution of Australian vertebrates and in particular, the evolution of marsupials, marsupial lion taxonomy and systematics, and functional morphology.
Derrick A. Arena. Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre (PANGEA), School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia; r.arena@unsw.edu.au
Rick Arena is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the PANGEA Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. BSc Hons & PhD (University of New South Wales). He works on the geology and palaeontology, biostratigraphy of Australian Cenozoic vertebrate fossil deposits, with a focus on those of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area in northwest Queensland. His research interests include the continental biocorrelation and geocorrelation of Australia's fossil mammal deposits, cave geology, tufa deposits and taphonomy.
John Scanlon. Outback at Isa, Mount Isa, Queensland 4825, Australia; nanowana@gmail.com
John Scanlon is a vertebrate biologist, affiliated with the PANGEA Research Centre, BSc Hons (University of Sydney), PhD (University of New South Wales). John specialises in the systematics, palaeontology and behavioral ecology of snakes in BSc (Hons) at the University of Sydney, PhD at the University of New South Wales, and postdoctoral research at the University of Adelaide. John was the resident palaeontologist at the Riversleigh Fossil Centre 2004-2010 and has since worked as a fauna consultant in Western Australia. Research interests include the morphological and behavioural aspects of evolution in elapid and pythonid snakes, and extinct groups such as Madtsoiidae relevant to the Mesozoic origin of snakes among squamate reptiles.
Neville Pledge. Palaeontology, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide 5000, Australia; Neville.Pledge@samuseum.sa.gov.au
Neville Pledge is an Honorary Association of the Palaeontology Section of the South Australian Museum, Adelaide. BSc Hons (University of Adelaide), MSc (University of Wyoming). First Curator of Fossils at the South Australian Museum, Adelaide. Besides exhibition design, his initial work was on the Pleistocene vertebrate fossils of the Naracoorte Caves, South Australia. Subsequently he began a lifelong study of the Tertiary vertebrate fossils of the Lake Eyre Basin. He has published more than 50 refereed papers, as well as numerous popular articles. He has described or co-authored about 30 new species, from sharks, dinosaurs, birds, cetaceans to marsupials.
Jenni Thurmer. Palaeontology, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide 5000, Australia; jthurmer@senet.com.au
Jennifer Thurmer is affiliated with the Palaeontology Section of the South Australian Museum, Adelaide. Jennifer was employed by the South Australian Museum as its scientific illustrator and publication editor for twenty five years. She currently undertakes voluntary work in that museum’s fossil department and has considerable experience in the field and lab. Her current interests include the fossils of the Lake Eyre Basin, South Australia.
FIGURE 1. Fossil localities: 1, map of Australia showing the relative positions of the Two Trees Site at Riversleigh in Queensland, and the Leaf Locality in South Australia. 2, the Gag Plateau where the Two Trees Site occurs at Riversleigh. 3, Lake Ngapakaldi where the Leaf Locality occurs in South Australia. (Modified after: Woodburne and Tedford, 1975, figure 1; and Archer et al., 2016, figure 1).
FIGURE 2. Miminipossum notioplanetes. 1-2, Holotype QM F57950, right dentary fragment with I1, P2-3 and M1 buccal and lingual views respectively. 3-4, Referred specimen SAM P49184 (image reversed to facilitate comparison), left dentary fragment with P3, M1, and base of I1, buccal and lingual views, respectively.
FIGURE 3. 1-2, stereophotographs of the holotype right dentary of Miminipossum notioplanetes (QM F57950). Teeth present are I1, P 2, P3, M1. 3-4, stereophotographs of the referred partial left dentary SAM P49184 (image reversed to facilitate comparison). Teeth present are the base of I1, P3, M1.
TABLE 1. Comparative measurements (in mm) of Miminipossum notioplanetes sp. nov. specimens from the Two Trees (Queensland) and Kutjamarpu (South Australia) Local Faunas.
Length M1 | Maximum width M1 | Maximum height M 1 | |
QM F57950 | 1.95 | 1.47 | 1.97 |
SAM P49184 | 1.94 | 1.45 | 1.85 |
Length P3 | Maximum width P3 | Dent. depth below M1 | |
QM 57590 | 1.63 | 1.42 | 3.95 |
SAM P49184 | 1.55 | 1.44 | 4.10 |
Length P2 | Maximum width P2 | ||
QM 57590 | 1.01 | 0.81 |
TABLE 2. Mammal species shared between the Kutjamarpu Local Fauna of central Australia and faunal assemblages in Riversleigh Faunal Zones. Faunal Zone A (FZ A) = Late Oligocene. Faunal Zone B (FZ B) = Early Miocene. Faunal Zone C (FZ C) = Middle Miocene. Faunal Zone D (FZ D = late Middle or early Late Miocene.
Taxon | FZ A | FZ B | FZ C | FZ D | ||||
Litokoala kutjamarpensis | − | + | + | − | ||||
Neohelos tirarensis | + | + | + | − | ||||
Wakaleo oldfieldi | − | + | + | − | ||||
Rhizophascolonus crowcrofti | + | + | + | − | ||||
Paljara tirarensae | − | + | + | + | ||||
Marlu kutjamarpensis | − | − | + | − | ||||
Marlu syke | − | + | + | − | ||||
Marlu ampelos | − | − | + | − | ||||
Ektopodon serratus | − | + | − | − | ||||
Wakiewakie lawsoni | − | + | − | − | ||||
Ganawamaya acris | − | + | + | − | ||||
Ganguroo bilamina | − | + | − | − | ||||
Madju variae | + | + | + | − | ||||
Bulungu palara | + | + | + | − | ||||
Miminipossum notioplanetes | − | − | + | − |
Miminipossum notioplanetes, a Miocene forest-dwelling phalangeridan (Marsupialia; Diprotodontia) from northern and central Australia
Plain Language Abstract
Research into the prehistory of Australia’s marsupials conducted by the University of New South Wales in Sydney and the South Australian Museum in Adelaide has revealed a new family, genus and species of small Miocene possum. This new species existed in 23-15 million-year-old (Early to Middle Miocene) ecosystems that may have stretched continuously at least halfway across the continent of Australia from Riversleigh in northwestern Queensland to the Tirari Desert in central South Australia. The relationship of this new group to other possum groups is uncertain because as yet too little is known about these new marsupials. But because it was one of 15 other unique kinds of extinct marsupials shared by the fossil deposits in the two areas, it is reasonable to hypothesize that the lush, wet forest conditions interpreted to have been present in Riversleigh during the Early and Middle Miocene were also present at the same time in the centre of the Continent.
Resumen en Español
Miminipossum notioplanetes, un Phalangerida mioceno habitante de bosques (Marsupialia; Diprotodontia) del norte y centro de Australia
Miminipossum notioplanetes representa una nueva familia (Miminipossumidae) del suborden Phalangerida del Mioceno Temprano/Medio descubierta en la fauna “Two Trees Local Fauna“ de la “Riversleigh World Heritage Area” en el noroeste de Queensland y en la fauna “Kutjamarpu Local Fauna” del desierto de Tirari en el norte de Australia del Sur. Debido a la convergencia generalizada en las características clave de P3 y M1 entre las familias del suborden Phalangerida, las relaciones interfamiliares de Miminipossumidae son inciertas. La edad de la “Kutjamarpu Local Fauna” ha sido puesta en duda con estimaciones que van desde el Oligoceno tardío hasta el Mioceno Medio. El nuevo taxón aumenta a 15 el número de taxones en la “Kutjamarpu Local Fauna” que también están presentes en las asociaciones de “Riversleigh’s Faunal Zone B” (Mioceno temprano) y de “Riversleigh’s Faunal Zone C” (Mioceno Medio). Aunque existe poca evidencia de correlación biótica para la estimación de edad en el Oligoceno tardío, persiste la duda sobre si la edad es más probable que sea Mioceno temprano o Medio. En lo que respecta a las implicaciones paleoambientales, debido a que se concluyó que tanto las asociaciones fósiles de Riversleigh del Mioceno temprano como las del Mioceno Medio se depositaron en bosques templados y húmedos de tierras bajas ricos en especies, se considera que el mismo o similar paleoambiente del Mioceno temprano/Medio se habría presentado en el centro de Australia cuando la asociación fósil de Kutjamarpu se estaba originando.
Palabras clave: Miminipossumidae; Mioceno; Riversleigh; Kutjamarpu; nuevo género; nueva especie
Traducción: Enrique Peñalver (Sociedad Española de Paleontología)
Résumé en Français
Miminipossum notioplanetes gen. et sp. nov., un Phalangerida (Marsupiala; Diprotodontia) miocène des forêts du nord et du centre de l’Australie
Miminipossum notioplanetes gen. et sp. nov. est un représentant d’une nouvelle famille de Phalangerida dans le Miocène ancien/moyen de la « Two Trees Local Fauna » de la « Riversleigh World Heritage area » au nord-ouest du Queensland et de la « Kutkamarpu Local Fauna » dans le désert de Tirari au nord de l’Australie-Méridionale. Comme les convergences de caractères clés des P3 et M1 sont très courantes au sein des familles de Phalangerida, les relations interfamiliales des Miminipossumidae fam. nov. sont incertaines. L’âge de la « Kutkamarpu Local Fauna » est incertain avec des estimations allant de l’Oligocène récent au Miocène moyen. Le nouveau taxon élève à 15 le nombre de taxons de la « Kutjamarpu Local Fauna » qui sont partagés avec les assemblages des zones fauniques B (Miocène ancien) et C (Miocène moyen) de Riversleigh. Les données biostratigraphiques ne sont pas compatibles avec un âge oligocène récent, mais il est encore incertain si l’âge le plus probable est miocène ancien ou miocène moyen. En termes d’implications paléoenvironnementales, les assemblages du Miocène ancien et du Miocène moyen de Riversleigh ont été interprétés comme ayant été déposés dans des forêts de basse altitude, tempérées, humides, et riches en espèces. Des environnements identiques ou similaires ont pu s’étendre au Miocène ancien/moyen jusqu’au centre de l’Australie au moment où l’assemblage de Kutjamarpu s’est accumulé.
Mots-clés : Miminipossumidae fam. nov. ; Miocène ; Riversleigh ; Kutjamarpu ; nouveau genre ; nouvelle espèce
Translator: Antoine Souron
Deutsche Zusammenfassung
Miminipossum notioplanetes, ein miozäner Phalangeride (Marsupialia; Diprotodontia) aus Nord-und Zentralaustralien
Miminipossum notioplanetes repräsentiert eine neue früh/mittelmiozäne Familie (Miminipossumidae) von Phalangeriden aus der Two Trees Local Fauna der Riversleigh Naturwelterbestätte im nordwestlichen Queensland und der Kutjamarpu Local Fauna der Tirari Wüste im nördlichen South Australia. Weil unter den phalangeriden Familien bei den Schlüsselmerkmalen von P3 and M1 sehr viele Konvergenzen auftreten, sind die interfamiliären Beziehungen der Miminipossumidae unsicher. Über das Alter der Kutjamarpu Local Fauna besteht Uneinigkeit und die Schätzungen schwanken zwischen spätem Oligozän und mittlerem Miozän. Das neue Taxon erhöht die Anzahl der Kutjamarpu Local Fauna Taxa auf 15, die mit den Assemblagen der Riversleigh Faunenzone B (frühes Miozän) und der Riversleigh Faunenzone C (mittleres Miozän) geteilt werden. Obwohl es ziemlich wenig biokorrelative Unterstützung für ein spätoligozänes Alters gibt, bestehen Zweifel ob das Alter eher frühes oder spätes Miozän ist. Es kann durchaus sein, dass dieselbe oder eine ähnliche früh/mittelmiozäne Paläoumwelt zur Zeit als die Kutjamarpu Assemblage akkumuliert wurde bis nach Zentralaustralien hineinreichte, weil sowohl für die frühmiozäne Riversleigh Assemblage als auch für die spätmittelmiozäne Riversleigh Assemblage gefolgert wurde, dass sie in temperierten, feuchten und artenreichen Tiefladwäldern akkumuliert wurden.
Schlüsselworter: Miminipossumidae; Miozän; Riversleigh; Kutjamarpu; neue Gattung; neue Art
Translator: Eva Gebauer
Arabic
Translator: Ashraf M.T. Elewa
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Review: The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Sea Reptiles
The Princeton Field Guide to Mesozoic Sea Reptiles
Article number: 26.1.1R
April 2023