Published June 30, 2008 | Version v1

Diprotodon Owen 1838

Authors/Creators

Description

MYALL CREEK DIPROTODON

As there were no dentaries sufficiently preserved to allow definitive distinction of large- and small-form individuals, it is not possible to separate isolated teeth into form class. However, the means of Myall Creek Diprotodon cheek teeth are similar to the undifferentiated size class samples from the Darling Downs and Lake Callabonna (Tables 2, 3). Additionally, the morphometric range of tooth sizes encompasses that of both large- and small-form individuals of body size differentiated assemblages (e.g. Darling Downs and Lake Callabonna; Figs 14, 15). Thus, those observations are in agreement with those of Marcus (1976), and suggest that both Diprotodon size classes are represented in the Myall Creek assemblage. Additionally, there are no consistent morphologies sufficient to warrant distinction of more than one morphospecies in the assemblage. Therefore, the data suggest that a single, sexually dimorphic Diprotodon species is present in the Myall Creek assemblage.

Coefficient of variation values of the Myall Creek Diprotodon assemblage, and extant grey kangaroos, are lower than that for the Darling Downs and Lake Callabonna Diprotodon assemblages (Tables 2–4). Thus, the data may suggest that the temporal sampling range of the Myall Creek assemblage was less than that for the Darling Downs and Lake Callabonna.

Notes

Published as part of Price, Gilbert J., 2008, Taxonomy and palaeobiology of the largest-ever marsupial, Diprotodon Owen, 1838 (Diprotodontidae, Marsupialia), pp. 369-397 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 153 (2) on pages 386-387, DOI: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00387.x, http://zenodo.org/record/5447600

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Linked records

Additional details

Biodiversity

Scientific name authorship
Owen
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Order
Diprotodontia
Family
Diprotodontidae
Genus
Diprotodon
Taxon rank
genus
Taxonomic concept label
Diprotodon Owen, 1838 sec. Price, 2008

References

  • Marcus LF. 1976. The Bingara fauna, a Pleistocene vertebrate fauna from Murchinson County, New South Wales, Australia. University of California Publications in Geological Sciences 114: 1 - 146.