The Phascolarctidae (''φάσκωλος (phaskolos)'' - pouch or bag, ''ἄρκτος (arktos)'' - bear, from the Greek ''phascolos'' + ''arctos'' meaning pouched bear) is a family of

marsupials Marsupials are any members of the mammalian infraclass Marsupialia. All extant marsupials are endemic to Australasia, Wallacea and the Americas. A distinctive characteristic common to most of these species is that the young are carried in a po ...

of the order Diprotodontia, consisting of only one extant species, the koala, and six well-known fossil species, with another five less well known fossil species, and two fossil species of the genus ''Koobor'', whose taxonomy is debatable but are placed in this group. The closest relatives of the Phascolarctidae are the wombats, which comprise the family Vombatidae. The fossil record of the family dates back to the Middle Miocene or Late Oligocene.

Classification

Family Phascolarctidae * Genus ''Nimiokoala'' **Riversleigh rainforest koala - ''Nimiokoala greystanesi'' * Genus ''Invictokoala'' **''Invictokoala monticola'' * Genus ''Madakoala'' **''Madakoala robustus'' **''Madakoala wellsi'' **''Madakoala devisi'' * Genus ''Litokoala'' **''Litokoala garyjohnstoni'' **''Litokoala kutjamarpensis'' **''Litokoala kanunkaensis'' * Genus ''Koobor'' **''Koobor jimbarrati'' **''Koobor notabilis'' * Genus ''Perikoala'' **''Perikoala palankarinnica'' **''Perikoala robustus'' * Genus ''Phascolarctos'' **''Phascolarctos maris'' **Koala - ''Phascolarctos cinereus'' **Giant koala - ''Phascolarctos stirtoni'' *''Phascolarctos yorkensis'' (formerly ''Cundokoala yorkensis'') * Genus ''Priscakoala'' **''Priscakoala lucyturnbullae''

References

External links

Vombatiforms Koalas Extant Chattian first appearances Mammal families {{Diprotodont-stub