A revised faunal list and geological setting for Bullock Creek, a Camfieldian site from the Northern Territory of Australia

Schwartz, Leah Rosalie Seixas

doi:10.24199/j.mmv.2016.74.20

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…To fully understand the diversification dynamics of dasyuromorphians, additional fossils from sites around Australia e.g. [ 26 , 32 , 173 ], will need to be incorporated within the broad phylogenetic context established here and in other studies e.g. [ 15 , 20 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Total evidence phylogeny and evolutionary timescale for Australian faunivorous marsupials (Dasyuromorphia)

Kealy

Beck

2017

BMC Evol Biol

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BackgroundThe order Dasyuromorphia is a diverse radiation of faunivorous marsupials, comprising >80 modern species in Australia and New Guinea. It includes dasyurids, the numbat (the myrmecobiid Myrmecobius fasciatus) and the recently extinct thylacine (the thylacinid Thylacinus cyncocephalus). There is also a diverse fossil record of dasyuromorphians and “dasyuromorphian-like” taxa known from Australia. We present the first total evidence phylogenetic analyses of the order, based on combined morphological and molecular data (including a novel set of 115 postcranial characters), to resolve relationships and calculate divergence dates. We use this information to analyse the diversification dynamics of modern dasyuromorphians.ResultsOur morphology-only analyses are poorly resolved, but our molecular and total evidence analyses confidently resolve most relationships within the order, and are strongly congruent with recent molecular studies. Thylacinidae is the first family to diverge within the order, and there is strong support for four tribes within Dasyuridae (Dasyurini, Phascogalini, Planigalini and Sminthopsini). Among fossil taxa, Ankotarinja and Keeuna do not appear to be members of Dasyuromorphia, whilst Barinya and Mutpuracinus are of uncertain relationships within the order. Divergence dates calculated using total evidence tip-and-node dating are younger than both molecular node-dating and total evidence tip-dating, but appear more congruent with the fossil record and are relatively insensitive to calibration strategy. The tip-and-node divergence dates indicate that Dasyurini, Phascogalini and Sminthopsini began to radiate almost simultaneously during the middle-to-late Miocene (11.5–13.1 MYA; composite 95% HPD: 9.5–15.9 MYA); the median estimates for these divergences are shortly after a drop in global temperatures (the middle Miocene Climatic Transition), and coincide with a faunal turnover event in the mammalian fossil record of Australia. Planigalini radiated much later, during the latest Miocene to earliest Pliocene (6.5 MYA; composite 95% HPD: 4.4–8.9 MYA); the median estimates for these divergences coincide with an increase in grass pollen in the Australian palynological record that suggests the development of more open habitats, which are preferred by modern planigale species.ConclusionsOur results provide a phylogenetic and temporal framework for interpreting the evolution of modern and fossil dasyuromorphians, but future progress will require a much improved fossil record.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-017-1090-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Total evidence phylogeny and evolutionary timescale for Australian faunivorous marsupials (Dasyuromorphia)

Kealy

Beck

2017

BMC Evol Biol

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“…Similarities include: an anteriorly projecting sectorial parastyle; complete protoloph and metaloph; straight ectoloph; and absence of a preprotocrista, premetaconulecrista, and central cusp on the metaloph (“neometaconule”). Two macropodoid families, Balbaridae and Macropodidae, are well represented in the Bullock Creek and Kangaroo Well assemblages (Megirian et al, 2004; Schwartz, 2016). The species of Barguru may represent as yet unnamed macropodoids, or may be synonymous with one or more named macropodoid taxa, for which no definitive deciduous premolars have hitherto been identified.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new ektopodontid possum (Diprotodontia, Ektopodontidae) from the Oligocene of central Australia, and its implications for phalangeroid interrelationships

Crichton

Worthy

Camens

et al. 2022

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

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The Ektopodontidae are an enigmatic group of phalangeroid marsupials known from the late Oligocene to the Early Pleistocene of Australia. Although represented to date only by isolated teeth and several partial dentaries and maxillae, their highly distinctive dental morphology has allowed three genera and nine species to be distinguished. Here, we describe possibly the geologically oldest ektopodontid, Chunia pledgei sp. nov., from the Oligocene Pwerte Marnte Marnte fossil locality of central Australia. Phylogenetic analyses of Phalangeroidea, using 80 primarily dental characters framed by a molecular scaffold, support placement of the new taxon in the genus Chunia. The analyses failed to recover species of the genus Durudawiri in a monophyletic Miralinidae, indicating that they require systematic review. We also transfer the purported basal phalangerid Eocuscus sarastamppi to Miralinidae (Miralina sarastamppi comb. nov.). Additionally, the M1 specimens used to describe the Early to Middle Miocene miralinid genus Barguru, and three species therein, are reidentified as deciduous third premolars from early macropodoids. These findings imply that the Miralinidae are known only from the late Oligocene, whereas the oldest named phalangerids are from the Early Miocene. From a functional consideration of ektopodontid dental morphology, we infer support for prior suggestions of a granivorous and/or frugivorous diet for them. The relative stage-of-evolution expressed by the new taxon is comparable to those in the lower faunal zones of the Namba and Etadunna formations, which supports a late Oligocene age for the Pwerte Marnte Marnte assemblage. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8881FF3A-4B9F-4085-A5C2-1BBF976CFB65 SUPPLEMENTAL DATA-Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVP.

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Functional morphology of Wakaleo postcrania from the middle to late Miocene of central Australia reveals new insights in the evolution of marsupial hypercarnivores

Warburton

Yates

2021

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

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A revised faunal list and geological setting for Bullock Creek, a Camfieldian site from the Northern Territory of Australia

Cited by 5 publications

References 22 publications

Total evidence phylogeny and evolutionary timescale for Australian faunivorous marsupials (Dasyuromorphia)

Total evidence phylogeny and evolutionary timescale for Australian faunivorous marsupials (Dasyuromorphia)

A new ektopodontid possum (Diprotodontia, Ektopodontidae) from the Oligocene of central Australia, and its implications for phalangeroid interrelationships

Functional morphology of Wakaleo postcrania from the middle to late Miocene of central Australia reveals new insights in the evolution of marsupial hypercarnivores

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