Weirdodectes

Weirdodectes Temporal range: Middle Miocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
3D scans of the holotype specimen
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Marsupialia
Order:	Dasyuromorphia
Family:	† Malleodectidae
Genus:	† Weirdodectes
Species:	†W. napoleoni
Binomial name
†Weirdodectes napoleoni Churchill et. al., 2025

Weirdodectes is an extinct genus of malleodectid that lived during the Middle Miocene.

Distribution

Weirdodectes napoleoni is known from fossils found in Queensland, Australia. ^[1]

Etymology

The genus name Weirdodectes derives from the unusual morphology of the first molar, which is unique among marsupials. The species name napoleoni honours the lead author’s deceased dog, who provided emotional support for them during their studies. ^[1]

References

1. Churchill, Timothy J.; Archer, Michael; Hand, Suzanne J. (5 April 2025). "A new genus and two new species of malleodectid (Marsupialia, Malleodectidae) from the Middle and Late Miocene deposits of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland". Journal of Mammalian Evolution . 32 (2). doi: 10.1007/s10914-025-09755-6 . ISSN   1064-7554.