Current status of species-level representation in faunas from selected fossil localities in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland

Archer, Michael; Arena, Derrick; Bassarova, Mina; Beck, Robin M. D.; Black, Karen H.; Boles, Walter; Brewer, Philippa; Cooke, Bernard; Crosby, Kirsten; Gillespie, Anna K.; Godthelp, Henk; Hand, Suzanne J.; Kear, Benjamin P.; Louys, Julien; Morrell, Adam; Muirhead, Jeanette; Roberts, Karen; Scanlon, John W.; Travouillon, Kenny J.; Wroe, Stephen

doi:10.1080/03115510608619570

Cited by 18 publications

(39 citation statements)

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“…In addition, our demonstration of profound antiquity for modern desert-living bandicoot lineages (a result unaffected by alternative constraint parameters or variation in substitution rate16: Supplementary Tables S6–S8; Supplementary Figs S21–S30), indicates that increasing aridity during the late Neogene likely did not initiate the genesis of crown Perameloidea, although it probably assisted in perameline intra-clade habitat expansion and localized speciation events. The undeniable rarity of definitive crown perameloid fossils in pre-Pliocene sediments might therefore be explained by sampling biases and/or incompletely documented collections3275859, as well as ecological underrepresentation60. Indeed, our tree-based ancestral area optimisations (Supplementary Tables S9–S12; Supplementary Figs S31–S34) infer that the seminal radiation of modern bandicoots accompanied widespread australidelphian niche dispersals into drier mosaic settings, perhaps such as mallee ( Eucalyptus ) woodlands that spread through Central Australia from the late Oligocene5061.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bandicoot fossils and DNA elucidate lineage antiquity amongst xeric-adapted Australasian marsupials

Kear

Aplin

Westerman

2016

Sci Rep

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Bandicoots (Peramelemorphia) are a unique order of Australasian marsupials whose sparse fossil record has been used as prima facie evidence for climate change coincident faunal turnover. In particular, the hypothesized replacement of ancient rainforest-dwelling extinct lineages by antecedents of xeric-tolerant extant taxa during the late Miocene (~10 Ma) has been advocated as a broader pattern evident amongst other marsupial clades. Problematically, however, this is in persistent conflict with DNA phylogenies. We therefore determine the pattern and timing of bandicoot evolution using the first combined morphological + DNA sequence dataset of Peramelemorphia. In addition, we document a remarkably archaic new fossil peramelemorphian taxon that inhabited a latest Quaternary mosaic savannah-riparian forest ecosystem on the Aru Islands of Eastern Indonesia. Our phylogenetic analyses reveal that unsuspected dental homoplasy and the detrimental effects of missing data collectively obscure stem bandicoot relationships. Nevertheless, recalibrated molecular clocks and multiple ancestral area optimizations unanimously infer an early diversification of modern xeric-adapted forms. These probably originated during the late Palaeogene (30–40 Ma) alongside progenitors of other desert marsupials, and thus occupied seasonally dry heterogenous habitats long before the onset of late Neogene aridity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bandicoot fossils and DNA elucidate lineage antiquity amongst xeric-adapted Australasian marsupials

Kear

Aplin

Westerman

2016

Sci Rep

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“…from the Czech Republic [122,123]; (CN10) Physignathus – Ctenophorus , 16 Mya, based on material referable to Physignathus sp. from Australia [124-126]; (CN11) Gambelia – Anolis , 48 Mya, based on Afairiguana avius the oldest pleurodontan iguanian [117,118,127,128]; and (CN12) Shinisaurus – Elgaria , 128 Mya, based on Dalinghosaurus longidigitus which may be more closely related to Shinisaurus than to any other living squamate [114,129,130]. For the full justification of each of the fossil specimens and their age see Additional file 1.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integration of molecules and new fossils supports a Triassic origin for Lepidosauria (lizards, snakes, and tuatara)

et al. 2013

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BackgroundLepidosauria (lizards, snakes, tuatara) is a globally distributed and ecologically important group of over 9,000 reptile species. The earliest fossil records are currently restricted to the Late Triassic and often dated to 227 million years ago (Mya). As these early records include taxa that are relatively derived in their morphology (e.g. Brachyrhinodon), an earlier unknown history of Lepidosauria is implied. However, molecular age estimates for Lepidosauria have been problematic; dates for the most recent common ancestor of all lepidosaurs range between approximately 226 and 289 Mya whereas estimates for crown-group Squamata (lizards and snakes) vary more dramatically: 179 to 294 Mya. This uncertainty restricts inferences regarding the patterns of diversification and evolution of Lepidosauria as a whole.ResultsHere we report on a rhynchocephalian fossil from the Middle Triassic of Germany (Vellberg) that represents the oldest known record of a lepidosaur from anywhere in the world. Reliably dated to 238–240 Mya, this material is about 12 million years older than previously known lepidosaur records and is older than some but not all molecular clock estimates for the origin of lepidosaurs. Using RAG1 sequence data from 76 extant taxa and the new fossil specimens two of several calibrations, we estimate that the most recent common ancestor of Lepidosauria lived at least 242 Mya (238–249.5), and crown-group Squamata originated around 193 Mya (176–213).ConclusionA Early/Middle Triassic date for the origin of Lepidosauria disagrees with previous estimates deep within the Permian and suggests the group evolved as part of the faunal recovery after the end-Permain mass extinction as the climate became more humid. Our origin time for crown-group Squamata coincides with shifts towards warmer climates and dramatic changes in fauna and flora. Most major subclades within Squamata originated in the Cretaceous postdating major continental fragmentation. The Vellberg fossil locality is expected to become an important resource for providing a more balanced picture of the Triassic and for bridging gaps in the fossil record of several other major vertebrate groups.

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“…For example, molar dimensions of Neohelos tirarensis from the Kutjamarpu LF consistently group with those of N. tirarensis from Riversleigh's FZB (Black et al 2013a). In addition, a number of other Faunal Zone B taxa also occur in the Kutjamarpu LF including the casuariid Emuarius gidju, the phascolarctid Litokoala kutjamarpensis, the vombatid Rhizophascolonus crowcrofti, the thylacoleonid Wakaleo oldfieldi, the ektopodontid Ektopodon serratus, the pseudocheirid possums Paljara tirarensae, Marlu kutjamarpensis, M. ampelos, and M. syke, and the potoroid Wakiewakie lawsoni (Godthelp et al 1989;Archer et al 2006;Gillespie 2007;Louys et al 2007;Roberts et al 2008Roberts et al , 2009Travouillon et al 2011;Black et al 2013b). Specimens of M. variae from the Kutjamarpu LF are closer in size to those from Riversleigh's FZB, supporting an early Miocene in age for this central Australian assemblage.…”

Section: Biostratigraphy and Palaeoenvironment Of Species Of Madjumentioning

confidence: 98%

“…However, until now no cases of sexual dimorphism have been reported from the fossil record. Here we suggest that the two taxa noted by Archer et al (2006) and Travouillon et al (2006Travouillon et al ( , 2009Travouillon et al ( , 2011) represent a single dimorphic species, for the following reasons.…”

Section: Sexual Dimorphism In Madju Variaementioning

confidence: 98%

Sexually Dimorphic Bandicoots (Marsupialia: Peramelemorphia) From the Oligo-Miocene of Australia, First Cranial Ontogeny for Fossil Bandicoots and New Species Descriptions

et al. 2014

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Current status of species-level representation in faunas from selected fossil localities in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland

Cited by 18 publications

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Bandicoot fossils and DNA elucidate lineage antiquity amongst xeric-adapted Australasian marsupials

Bandicoot fossils and DNA elucidate lineage antiquity amongst xeric-adapted Australasian marsupials

Integration of molecules and new fossils supports a Triassic origin for Lepidosauria (lizards, snakes, and tuatara)

Sexually Dimorphic Bandicoots (Marsupialia: Peramelemorphia) From the Oligo-Miocene of Australia, First Cranial Ontogeny for Fossil Bandicoots and New Species Descriptions

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