Rhizophascolonus

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Rhizophascolonus
Temporal range: Late Oligocene–Early Miocene
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Vombatidae
Genus: Rhizophascolonus
Stirton et al., 1967
Type species
Rhizophascolonus crowcrofti
Stirton et al., 1967
Other species
  • R. ngangabaBrewer et al., 2018

Rhizophascolonus is an extinct genus of wombat known from the Early Miocene of South Australia. [1] [2] The genus was first described to accommodate Rhizophascolonus crowcrofti, in 1967. A discovery at Riversleigh was published as another new species in 2018, Rhizophascolonus ngangaba, and further specimens from this area were assigned to R. crowcrofti in the same study. [3]

References

  1. Stirton, R. A.; Tedford, Richard H.; Woodburne, Michael O. (1967). "A new Tertiary formation and fauna from the Tirari Desert, South Australia". Records of the South Australian Museum. 15 (3): 427–462.
  2. Brewer, P.; Archer, M.; Hand, S. (2008). "Additional specimens of the oldest wombat, Rhizophascolonus crowcrofti (Vombatidae; Marsupialia) from the Wipajiri Formation, South Australia: an intermediate morphology?". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 28 (4): 1144–1148. doi:10.1671/0272-4634-28.4.1144.
  3. Brewer, Philippa; Archer, Michael; Hand, Suzanne; Price, Gilbert (2018). "A new species of Miocene wombat (Marsupialia, Vombatiformes) from Riversleigh, Queensland, Australia, and implications for the evolutionary history of the Vombatidae". Palaeontologia Electronica. doi: 10.26879/870 . hdl: 10141/622528 .