''Palaeopotorous priscus'' is a fossil species of a
diprotodont
Diprotodontia (, from Greek "two forward teeth") is the largest extant order of marsupials, with about 155 species, including the kangaroos, wallabies, possums, koala, wombats, and many others. Extinct diprotodonts include the hippopotamus-sized ...
marsupial, known from specimens obtained in central Australia. The animal was similar to the modern species of the family
Potoroidae
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 s ...
, the potoroos and bettongs.
Taxonomy
The only known species of its genus, ''Palaeopotorous'', which has been allied to the subfamily
Potoroinae
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 s ...
or as the type of a subfamily, Palaeopotoroinae, in the potoroid family.
Description
The dental evidence of the species indicates it was a similar size to a small to medium 'rat-kangaroos' that were common into the twentieth century.
Since its first discovery, the species has been suspected of representing an early lineage of the macropods. The finds have been placed to the
late Oligocene
The Chattian is, in the geologic timescale, the younger of two ages or upper of two stages of the Oligocene Epoch/ Series. It spans the time between . The Chattian is preceded by the Rupelian and is followed by the Aquitanian (the lowest stage ...
period, for which the fossil record of early macropods is otherwise absent. ''Palaeopotorous priscus'' has been proposed to be the earliest known lineage of macropod, sharing the rudiments of features found in the smaller rat-kangaroos and larger kangaroos and wallabies.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q49148253
Prehistoric marsupial genera
Potoroids