''Ekaltadeta jamiemulvaneyi'' is a species of

potoroid Potoroidae is a family of marsupials, small Australian animals known as bettongs, potoroos, and rat-kangaroos. All are rabbit-sized, brown, jumping marsupials and resemble a large rodent or a very small wallaby. Taxonomy The potoroids are sma ...

marsupial that existed in later periods of

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

Australia.

Taxonomy

The description of ''Ekaltadeta jamiemulvaneyi'' was assigned to a new genus ''

Ekaltadeta ''Ekaltadeta'' is an extinct genus of marsupials related to the modern musky rat-kangaroos. ''Ekaltadelta'' was present in what is today the Riversleigh formations in Northern Queensland from the Late Oligocene to the Miocene. They are hypothes ...

'' by

Stephen Wroe Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; h ...

in 1996, assigning it to the genus erected for another species. The author reviewed the phylogeny of ''

'' and gave a revised description of the genus. The specific epithet ''jamiemulvaneyi'' refers to an honour given to J. Mulvaney as a supporter of the Riversleigh Society. The generic name means "powerful tooth".

Description

''Ekaltadeta jamiemulveneyi'' describes a very large species of the propleopine group.

Distribution

A species of

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 ...

, only known from that area in the north of Queensland. The specimens used in the first description were obtained at two sites in the

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 ne ...

, the "Encore" and "Cleft of Ages" sites. The sites of deposition are dated to period toward the end of the Middle or the beginning of the

late Miocene The Late Miocene (also known as Upper Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages. The Tortonian and Messinian stages comprise the Late Miocene sub-epoch, which lasted from 11.63 Ma (million ye ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q64426283 Miocene marsupials Fossil taxa described in 1996 Riversleigh fauna