|
Riversleigh Fauna
Riversleigh fauna is the collective term for any species of animal identified in fossil sites located in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area. Faunal zones The presence of the Riversleigh in the Oligo-Miocene has been exceptionally well preserved throughout a number of time periods. These has been classified by four "faunal zones", and may be summarised as, * Faunal Zone A (FZA): late Oligocene, a period 23.03–28.4 million years before present * Faunal Zone B (FZB): early Miocene, 15.97-23.03 myr * Faunal Zone C (FZC): middle Miocene, 11.608-15.97 myr * Faunal Zone D (FZD): late Miocene, 5.332-11.608 myr More recent fossil specimens has also been coded to the period of deposition, * Pliocene (PLIO), a period 2.588-5.332 myr * Pleistocene (PLEIS), 0.0117-2.588 myr * Holocene, noted as (HOLO) to indicate the period dated as following the Pleistocene, from the present day to 11,700 years ago. Faunal lists The following are incomplete lists of mammals, birds, fish, and inverte ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Riversleigh World Heritage Area
Riversleigh World Heritage Area is Australia's most famous fossil location, recognised for the series of well preserved fossils deposited from the Late Oligocene to more recent geological periods. The fossiliferous limestone system is located near the Gregory River in the north-west of Queensland, an environment that was once a very wet rainforest that became more arid as the Gondwanan land masses separated and the Australian continent moved north. The approximately area has fossil remains of ancient mammals, birds, and reptiles of the Oligocene and Miocene ages, many of which were discovered and are only known from the Riversleigh area; the species that have occurred there are known as the Riversleigh fauna. The fossils at Riversleigh are unusual because they are found in soft freshwater limestone which has not been compacted. This means the animal remains retain their three-dimensional structure, rather than being partially crushed like in most fossil sites. The area is loc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xenorhinos
''Xenorhinos'' is a genus of bat that existed in the early Miocene. It was discovered at a fossil deposit of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area in the north of Australia. There are two known species, ''Xenorhinos halli'' and ''X. bhatnagari''. Taxonomy The description of ''Xenorhinos halli'' was published in 1998 by a senior researcher at the Riversleigh fossil sites Suzanne Hand, separated from other bats of the hipposiderid family by a new genus. A holotype was selected from fossilised material in a deposition at the Bitesantennary Site, a skull with some intact premolars. All the specimens included in the first description were obtained at the type locality. Later, the species was moved to the separate family Rhinonycteridae, and a second species, ''X. bhatnagari'', was named in 2023. The genus name ''Xenorhinos'' was nominated in reference to the strangeness of the palate and rostrum, a broad and short feature that was unique amongst the hipposiderid family. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taphozous Georgianus
The common sheath-tailed bat (''Taphozous georgianus''), is a bat in the family Emballonuridae, occurring in northern Australia. Taxonomy A description of the species was first published in 1915 by Oldfield Thomas, his notes on two bat genera resulting in a new subspecies ''Taphozous australis georgianus''. The taxon was included in a revision by Ellis Le Geyt Troughton (1925) that proposed recognition as a species and this status was acknowledged in 1967. Other recognised generic combinations include ''Saccolaimus georgianus''. The holotype, the skull and skin of a female, is held at the British Museum of Natural History and the locality of the collection noted as King George Sound; the species has not been recorded at this location. Common names also include common sheath-tail batVan Dyke, S. and Strahan, R. (eds.) (2008) ''The Mammals of Australia'', Third Edition, New Holland / Queensland Museum, Brisbane or sharp-nosed tomb bat. Description The overall colour of the fu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taphozous Sp
''Taphozous'' is a genus of the family Emballonuridae. The wide distribution of the genus includes several regions of Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Africa. ''Taphozous'' comes from the Greek τάφος, meaning "a tomb". The common names for species include variants on sac-winged, sheathtail, or tomb bats. The genus is the type for a grouping within the family, subfamily Taphozoinae, and an arrangement that describes two subgenera is as follows: subgenus ''Taphozous'' (''Liponycteris'') * Hamilton's tomb bat (''Taphozous hamiltoni'') * Naked-rumped tomb bat (''Taphozous nudiventris'') subgenus ''Taphozous'' (''Taphozous''), * Indonesian tomb bat (''Taphozous achates'') * Coastal sheath-tailed bat (''Taphozous australis'') * Common sheath-tailed bat (''Taphozous georgianus'') * Hildegarde's tomb bat (''Taphozous hildegardeae'') * Hill's sheath-tailed bat Hill's sheath-tailed bat (''Taphozous hilli'') is a bat of the family Emballonuridae. They are found in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhinonicteris Tedfordi
''Rhinonicteris tedfordi'' is an extinct species of microbat, of the order Chiroptera, known from fossil material found in Australia. Taxonomy The description of the fossil specimens as an extinct species was published by Suzanne J. Hand in 1997. The nearest relative is regarded as the only living species of the family, '' Rhinonicteris aurantia'', which occurs in two isolated populations across the north of Australia. The genus name is derived from ancient Greek, combining terms for nose, ''rhis'', and bat, ''nycteris''. The specific epithet ''tedfordi'' honours the work of Richard Tedford at Riversleigh, on behalf on thee American Museum of Natural History, in identifying tertiary mammals in the fossil beds. The author Suzanne J. Hand compared material from a microsite with an earlier description of a hipposiderid species '' Brachipposideros nooraleebus'' and the extant '' Rhinonicteris aurantia'', the revision of related material resulted in the publication of this speci ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Riversleigha Williamsi
''Riversleigha williamsi'' is a species of hipposiderid bat discovered in fossil deposits located the Riversleigh World Heritage Area in the north of Australia. Taxonomy The description of ''Riversleigha williamsi'' was published in 1998 by Suzanne J. Hand, the author separating the novel species by erecting a new genus, ''Riversleigha''. The type material was obtained at Bitesantennary Site, a rich deposit of previously unknown chiropteran taxa, and the ninth species to be discovered by the researchers at the Riversleigh fossil area from which the genus name is derived. The specific epithet was nominated by the author for Stephan Williams, who had assisted in the processing of large amounts of fossiliferous limestone extracted from the Bitesantennary Site, the species type location. Description ''Riversleigha'' was a large species of hipposiderid Old World leaf-nosed bat. These are found in Europe and other regions of the Old World and are distinguished by an elaborate fles ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Petramops Creaseri
''Petramops creaseri'' is a species of molossid bat discovered in Miocene fossil deposits at the Riversleigh sites. Taxonomy The species was described in 1990 by Suzanne J. Hand, a researcher at the Riversleigh World Heritage Area. The author separated the species as a new genus, ''Petramops'' within the Molossidae family of microchiropterans. The holotype, a partial dentary, was discovered at the Gotham City site at Riversleigh. The genus is masculine, and combines the Latin ''petrus'' for rock with ''mops'', a common suffix of chiropteran genera. The specific epithet honours Phil Creaser, noted for his contributions in support of the research at Riverleigh. Description ''Petramops'' was a molossid bat not closely related to modern Australian species, and apparently part of a basal group involved in the earliest dispersal of the family. It was a long distance flyer, which may have facilitated its colonisation of the Australian region before other molossids, perhaps in the e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Macroderma Malugara
''Macroderma malugara'' is a species of bat known from fossil material found in Australia. The name describes a 'good killer' in the local language, and was similar in size and probably habits of the modern ''Macroderma gigas'' (known as the ghost bat). They ate a wide variety of animals in their rainforest environment, including birds, turtles, small crocodiles and other bats. Taxonomy ''Macroderma malugara'' was described by the Australian palaeontologist Suzanne Hand in 1996. The author placed the new species in the genus '' Macroderma'', recognising an affinity with the only extant species ''Macroderma gigas'' (ghost bat). The type location is the Gotham City Site at the Riversleigh World Heritage Area. The specific epithet ''malugara'' is derived from the indigenous Wanyi language and means 'good killer'. The species is megadermatid of the suborder Microchiroptera within superfamily Rhinolophoidea. Description The species is a member of the family Megadermatidae, carnivor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Macroderma Godthelpi
''Macroderma godthelpi'' is a species of bat known from fossil material found in Australia, one of the larger carnivorous megadermatid family of the order Chiroptera. They resembled the modern species ''Macroderma gigas'', known as a false vampire or ghost bat, although significantly smaller than any other species of '' Macroderma''. Taxonomy The description of ''Macroderma godthelpi'' was published in 1985 by the palaeontologist Suzanne Hand, separating Miocene fossil material discovered at the Riversleigh World Heritage Area as a new species of '' Macroderma''. The type material was selected from Gag site at Riversleigh, which were examined with other specimens obtained at a nearby named as the Microsite. The holotype is part of a right maxillary, still retaining several of the bat's teeth. The specific epithet honour a fellow researcher of the author, Henk Godthelp, who had noticed the first evidence of the fossil deposits containing the diverse and numerous bats that wou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Macroderma Gigas
The ghost bat (''Macroderma gigas'') is a species of bat found in northern Australia. The species is the only Australian bat that preys on large vertebrates – birds, reptiles and other mammals – which they detect using acute sight and hearing, combined with echolocation, while waiting in ambush at a perch. The wing membrane and bare skin is pale in colour, their fur is light or dark grey over the back and paler at the front. The species has a prominent and simple nose-leaf, their large ears are elongated and joined at lower half, and the eyes are also large and dark in colour. The first description of the species was published in 1880, its recorded range has significantly contracted since that time. Taxonomy A species of ''Macroderma (bat), Macroderma'', one of several genera in the family Megadermatidae (false vampires). The family all have large eyes, a nose-leaf and tragus, long ears joined at the base, and are also found in southern Asia and central Africa. The descript ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
