Wynyardiidae

Wynyardiidae Temporal range: Oligocene–Miocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Marsupialia
Order:	Diprotodontia
Infraorder:	Vombatomorphia
Family:	† Wynyardiidae Osgood, 1921 [1]
Genera
† Ayekaye [2] † Muramura † Namilamadeta † Wynyardia

Wynyardiidae is an extinct family of possum-like marsupials from the early Miocene of Wynyard in Tasmania, long been considered to display skeletal features that are intermediate between the primitive polyprotodont and the advanced diprotodont marsupials.

Wynyardia's brain is clearly phalangeroid in external morphology, resembling closely that of the extant phalangerid Trichosurus vulpecula . This indicates that by 21 million years ago, an unambiguously phalangerid brain had evolved within the Diprotodonta family, indicating that both groups had a common ancestor prior to this date. Research on Wynyardia bassiana's relationship with fossil phalangerid species of the Miocene is an ongoing process.

Species

• †Wynyardiidae (Osgood 1921)
  • † Ayekaye jaredi (Megirian et al., 2004)
  • † Wynyardia bassiana (Spencer 1901)
  • † Muramura williamsi (Pledge in Archer 1987)
  • † Muramura pinpensis (Pledge N S 2003)
  • † Namilamadeta snideri (Rich & Archer 1979)

Notes

1. Osgood, W.H.; Herrick, C.J. (1921). "A monographic study of the American marsupial, Caenolestes". Field Museum of Natural History, Zoological Series. 14 (1). Field Museum of Natural History: 138.
2. Megirian, D; Murray, P; Schwartz, L; von der Borch, C (8 September 2004). "Late Oligocene Kangaroo Well Local Fauna from the Ulta Limestone (new name), and climate of the Miocene oscillation across central Australia". Australian Journal of Earth Sciences. 51 (5): 701–741. Bibcode:2004AuJES..51..701M. doi:10.1111/j.1400-0952.2004.01085.x. S2CID   130136211.

References

• Wildlife of Gondwana, By Patricia Vickers-Rich and Thomas Hewett Rich 1993 ISBN   0-7301-0315-3 Reed.

External links

• Partial skeleton
• By Neville S. Pledge 2003, A New Species of Muranura