Three new Miocene species of musky rat-kangaroos (Hypsiprymnodontidae, Macropodoidea) : description, phylogenetics and paleoecology

Bates, H, Travouillon, KJ, Cooke, B, Beck, RMD ORCID: 0000-0002-7050-7072, Hand, SJ and Archer, M 2014, 'Three new Miocene species of musky rat-kangaroos (Hypsiprymnodontidae, Macropodoidea) : description, phylogenetics and paleoecology' , Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 34 (2) , pp. 383-396.

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Abstract

Three new species of the macropodoid genus Hypsiprymnodon are described from early to middle Miocene fossil deposits in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland. A phylogenetic analysis of macropodoid relationships that includes these new taxa is presented. Monophyly of Macropodinae + Sthenurinae is recovered, as is a clade comprising macropodines, sthenurines, bulungamyines, and potoroids to the exclusion of hypsiprymnodontids and balbarids. Monophyly of Balbaridae is also supported, but hypsiprymnodontids are unresolved at the base of Macropodoidea, rather than forming a clade; this is probably because the new Hypsiprymnodon species described here are currently known from relatively incomplete material (isolated maxillae and dentaries). On the assumption that these extinct forms were ecologically similar to the living species H. moschatus (as suggested by close similarities in dental morphology), their presence in Riversleigh Faunal Zones B and C corroborates previous interpretations of a wet rainforest environment in northwestern Queensland during the early to middle Miocene of Australia.

Item Type:	Article
Schools:	Schools > School of Environment and Life Sciences > Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre
Journal or Publication Title:	Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Refereed:	Yes
ISSN:	0272-4634
Related URLs:	Publication
Funders:	Australian Research Council, Leverhulme Trust
Depositing User:	R Beck
Date Deposited:	30 Jan 2015 13:22
Last Modified:	10 Oct 2018 22:32
URI:	http://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/33614

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