The Vombatiformes are one of the three
suborder
Order ( la, ordo) is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between family and class. In biological classification, the order is a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and ...
s of the large
marsupial
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 ...
order
Diprotodontia
Diprotodontia (, from Greek language, Greek "two forward teeth") is the largest extant order (biology), order of marsupials, with about 155 species, including the kangaroos, Wallaby, wallabies, Phalangeriformes, possums, koala, wombats, and many ...
. Seven of the nine known
families
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...
within this suborder are extinct; only the families
Phascolarctidae
The Phascolarctidae (''φάσκωλος (phaskolos)'' - pouch or bag, ''ἄρκτος (arktos)'' - bear, from the Greek ''phascolos'' + ''arctos'' meaning pouched bear) is a family of marsupials of the order Diprotodontia, consisting of only one ...
, with the
koala
The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the womb ...
, and
Vombatidae, with three extant species of
wombat
Wombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials that are native to Australia. They are about in length with small, stubby tails and weigh between . All three of the extant species are members of the family Vombatidae. They are adap ...
, survive.
Among the extinct families are the
Diprotodontidae
The Diprotodontidae are an extinct family of large herbivorous marsupials, endemic to Australia and New Guinea during the Oligocene through Pleistocene periods from 28.4 million to 40,000 years ago. The family consisted of large quadrupedal te ...
, which includes the rhinoceros sized ''
Diprotodon
''Diprotodon'' (Ancient Greek: "two protruding front teeth") is an extinct genus of marsupial from the Pleistocene of Australia, containing one species, ''D. optatum''. The earliest finds date to 1.77 million to 780,000 years ago, but most speci ...
'', believed to be the largest marsupials ever, as well as the "marsupial lions"
Thylacoleonidae
Thylacoleonidae is a family of extinct meat-eating marsupials from Australia, referred to as marsupial lions. The best known is ''Thylacoleo carnifex'', also called the marsupial lion. The clade ranged from the Late Oligocene to the Pleistoc ...
and "marsupial tapirs"
Palorchestidae
Palorchestidae is an extinct family of diprotodont marsupials whose members are sometimes referred to as marsupial tapirs due to their superficial similarity to true tapirs.
Genera
The family consists of the following four genera:
* ''Propalor ...
. "Vombatiformes" is
neo-Latin
New Latin (also called Neo-Latin or Modern Latin) is the revival of Literary Latin used in original, scholarly, and scientific works since about 1500. Modern scholarly and technical nomenclature, such as in zoological and botanical taxonomy ...
for "wombat-shaped things", and took its name from its type family.
The suborder Vombatiformes, with its closely related members and their compact body form, contrasts with the other two diprotodont suborders, the
Macropodiformes
The Macropodiformes , also known as macropods, are one of the three suborders of the large marsupial order Diprotodontia. They may in fact be nested within one of the suborders, Phalangeriformes. Kangaroos, wallabies and allies, bettongs, potoro ...
:
kangaroo
Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...
s,
wallabies
A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and so ...
, and the
quokka
The quokka (''Setonix brachyurus'', ) is a small macropod about the size of a domestic cat. It is the only member of the genus ''Setonix''. Like other marsupials in the macropod family (such as kangaroos and wallabies), the quokka is herbivo ...
; and the
Phalangeriformes
Phalangeriformes is a paraphyletic suborder of about 70 species of small to medium-sized arboreal marsupials native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi. The species are commonly known as possums, gliders, and cuscus. The common name "possum ...
:
possums
Possum may refer to:
Animals
* Phalangeriformes, or possums, any of a number of arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi
** Common brushtail possum (''Trichosurus vulpecula''), a common possum in Australian urban a ...
, including the gliders such as the
wrist-winged glider
The genus ''Petaurus'' () contains flying phalangers or wrist-winged gliders, a group of arboreal possums native to Australia, New Guinea, and surrounding islands. There are eight species: the sugar glider, savanna glider, Krefft's glider, sq ...
s. The koala and wombats are believed by many biologists to share a common ancestor and to have diverged only recently in the
Cenozoic
The Cenozoic ( ; ) is Earth's current geological era, representing the last 66million years of Earth's history. It is characterised by the dominance of mammals, birds and flowering plants, a cooling and drying climate, and the current configura ...
.
In June 2020, ''
Mukupirna nambensis'', within its own family
Mukupirnidae, was declared by scientists after studying fossils originally discovered in
Lake Eyre
Lake Eyre ( ), officially known as Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, is an endorheic lake in east-central Far North South Australia, some north of Adelaide. The shallow lake is the depocentre of the vast endorheic Lake Eyre basin, and contains the ...
in 1973, and rediscovered in a drawer in the
American Natural History Museum
The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 26 inter ...
in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
around 2010. The study revealed that the fossil represented the closest fossil relative of the wombat family, meaning that they all evolved from a common ancestor. ''Mukupirna'' means "big bones" in the
Diyari
The Diyari (), alternatively transcribed as Dieri (), is an Indigenous Australian group of the South Australian desert originating in and around the delta of Cooper Creek to the east of Lake Eyre.
Language
Diyari is classified as one of the K ...
and
Malyangapa
The Malyangaapa are an Indigenous Australian Tribe of people who live in the far western areas of the state of New South Wales.
Language
The Malyangapa spoke a dialect of the Yarli language.
Country
Malyangaapa country extends over some with i ...
languages of the area where it was found.
Classification
![Vombatus ursinus -Maria Island National Park](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Vombatus_ursinus_-Maria_Island_National_Park.jpg)
Suborder Vombatiformes
* Family
Vombatidae:
wombat
Wombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials that are native to Australia. They are about in length with small, stubby tails and weigh between . All three of the extant species are members of the family Vombatidae. They are adap ...
s (three
modern
Modern may refer to:
History
* Modern history
** Early Modern period
** Late Modern period
*** 18th century
*** 19th century
*** 20th century
** Contemporary history
* Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century
Phil ...
species)
** Genus †''
Rhizophascolonus''
** Genus ''
Vombatus
''Vombatus'' is a genus of marsupial that contains a single living species, the common wombat (''Vombatus ursinus).''
The recently extinct Hackett's wombat ''(Vombatus hacketti
''Vombatus hacketti'', Hackett's wombat, is an extinct species o ...
''
** Genus †''
Phascolonus
''Phascolonus'' was a genus of prehistoric Australian marsupials in the wombat family. The largest species, ''Phascolonus gigas'', weighed as much as 200 kg (450 lb). ''Phascolonus'' existed alongside an even larger marsupial, ''Diprotodon'' ...
''
** Genus †''
Warendja''
** Genus †''
Ramasayia''
** Genus ''
Lasiorhinus
''Lasiorhinus'' is the genus containing the two extant hairy-nosed wombats, which are found in Australia. The southern hairy-nosed wombat is found in some of the semiarid to arid regions belt from New South Wales southwest to the South Australi ...
''
* Family
Phascolarctidae
The Phascolarctidae (''φάσκωλος (phaskolos)'' - pouch or bag, ''ἄρκτος (arktos)'' - bear, from the Greek ''phascolos'' + ''arctos'' meaning pouched bear) is a family of marsupials of the order Diprotodontia, consisting of only one ...
:
koala
The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the womb ...
(one
modern
Modern may refer to:
History
* Modern history
** Early Modern period
** Late Modern period
*** 18th century
*** 19th century
*** 20th century
** Contemporary history
* Moderns, a faction of Freemasonry that existed in the 18th century
Phil ...
species)
[
]
** Genus †''
Perikoala
''Perikoala'' is an extinct genus of marsupials, related to the modern koala. The genus diverged from a common ancestor of the other koala genera ''Nimiokoala'', ''Litokoala'', and ''Phascolarctos'', which contains the living koala.
Two species ...
''
** Genus †''
Madakoala
''Madakoala'' is a genus of extinct phascolarctid marsupials with three known species, ''Madakoala devisi,'' ''Madakoala wellsi'' ''and'' ''Madakoala robustus''. It is allied to extinct genera ''Invictokoala, Koobor, Litokoala, Nimiokoala, Periko ...
''
** Genus †''
Koobor''
** Genus †''
Litokoala''
** Genus †''
Nimiokoala''
** Genus ''
Phascolarctos''
* Family †
Ilariidae
The Ilariidae is a family of fossil mammals. Most ilariids are found in the middle Tertiary faunal assemblages of South Australia. '' Ilaria illumidens'' is the best-preserved representative of this extinct clade of vombatiforms.
The species is ...
** genus †''
Nimbadon
''Nimbadon'' is an extinct genus of diprotodont marsupial, that lived from the Late Oligocene to the Miocene epoches. Many fossils have been found in the Riversleigh World Heritage property in north-western Queensland. Unlike most members of ...
''
** Genus †''
Koalemas''
** Genus †''
Kuterintja
''Kuterintja'' is an extinct genus of marsupial of the family Ilariidae. Only one species has been described, ''Kuterintja ngama'', from Late Oligocene
The Chattian is, in the geologic timescale, the younger of two ages or upper of two stage ...
''
** Genus †''
Ilaria
''Ilaria'' is an extinct genus of marsupial of the family Ilariidae, dating from the Late Oligocene of South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the ...
''
* Family †
Maradidae
** Genus †''
Marada
The Mardaites () or al-Jarajima ( syr, ܡܪ̈ܕܝܐ; ar, ٱلْجَرَاجِمَة / ALA-LC: ''al-Jarājimah''), inhabited the highland regions of the Nur Mountains.
The Mardaites were early Christians following either Miaphysitism or Monothelit ...
''
BLACK, K., March 2007. Maradidae: a new family of vombatomorphian marsupial from the late Oligocene of Riversleigh, northwestern Queensland. Alcheringa 31, 17-32.
* Family † Mukupirnidae[
** Genus †'' Mukupirna nambensis''
* Family †]Thylacoleonidae
Thylacoleonidae is a family of extinct meat-eating marsupials from Australia, referred to as marsupial lions. The best known is ''Thylacoleo carnifex'', also called the marsupial lion. The clade ranged from the Late Oligocene to the Pleistoc ...
: ( marsupial lions)
** Genus †''Thylacoleo
''Thylacoleo'' ("pouch lion") is an extinct genus of carnivorous marsupials that lived in Australia from the late Pliocene to the late Pleistocene (2 million to 46 thousand years ago). Some of these marsupial lions were the largest mammalian pred ...
''
** Genus †''Priscileo
''Wakaleo pitikantensis'' is a species of carnivorous marsupial that was discovered at fossil sites in South Australia.
Taxonomy
The description by Rauscher was published in 1987, naming a new species and genus as ''Priscileo pitikantensis''.
...
''
** Genus †''Wakaleo
''Wakaleo'' (indigenous Australian ''waka'', "little", "small", and Latin ''leo'', "lion") was a genus of medium-sized thylacoleonids that lived in Australia in the Late Oligocene and Miocene Epochs.
Although much smaller than its close relativ ...
''
* Family †Wynyardiidae
Wynyardiidae is an extinct family of possum-like marsupials from the early Miocene of Wynyard in Tasmania, long been considered to display skeletal features that are intermediate between the primitive polyprotodont and the advanced diprotodon ...
** Genus †'' Wynyardia''
** Genus †'' Muramura''
** Genus †'' Namilamadeta''
* Superfamily Diprotodontoidea
The Vombatiformes are one of the three suborders of the large marsupial order Diprotodontia. Seven of the nine known families within this suborder are extinct; only the families Phascolarctidae, with the koala, and Vombatidae, with three extan ...
** Family †Diprotodontidae
The Diprotodontidae are an extinct family of large herbivorous marsupials, endemic to Australia and New Guinea during the Oligocene through Pleistocene periods from 28.4 million to 40,000 years ago. The family consisted of large quadrupedal te ...
: ( giant wombats)
*** Genus †''Alkwertatherium
''Alkwertatherium'' is an extinct genus of marsupial of the family Diprotodontidae. Only one species has been described, ''Alkwertatherium webbi'', from the Late Miocene of Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated a ...
''
*** Genus †'' Bematherium''
*** Genus †''Pyramios
''Pyramios'' is an extinct genus of diprotodont from the Miocene of Australia. It was very large, reaching a length of about 2.5 m (8.2 feet) and a height of about 1.5 m (4.92 feet). ''Pyramios'' is estimated to have weighed 700 kg (1102- ...
''
*** Genus †''Nototherium
''Nototherium'' ("Southern Beast") is an extinct genus of diprotodontid marsupial from Australia and New Guinea. This mammal had hypsodont molars and weighed around 500kg.Ross D.E. MacPhee, Hans-Dieter Sues, 1999,
Extinctions in Near Time, p. ...
''
*** Genus †'' Meniscolophus''
*** Genus †''Euryzygoma
''Euryzygoma'' is an extinct genus of marsupial which inhabited humid eucalyptus forests in Queensland and New South Wales during the Pliocene of Australia. ''Euryzygoma'' is believed to have weighed around 500 kg, and differed from other ...
''
*** Genus †''Diprotodon
''Diprotodon'' (Ancient Greek: "two protruding front teeth") is an extinct genus of marsupial from the Pleistocene of Australia, containing one species, ''D. optatum''. The earliest finds date to 1.77 million to 780,000 years ago, but most speci ...
''
*** Genus †''Euowenia
''Euowenia'' is an extinct genus of Diprotodontia which existed from the Pliocene to the upper Pleistocene. Weighing around 500 kg, ''Euowenia'' is only known from three locations on mainland Australia, Chinchilla in Queensland, Menindee ...
''
*** Genus †'' Sthenomerus''
*** Subfamily †Zygomaturinae
The Zygomaturinae are an extinct subfamily of marsupials. The phylogeny and taxonomy of this clade is poorly understood and problematic. Zygomaturines are currently thought to be a subfamily within Diprotodontidae
The Diprotodontidae are an ...
**** Genus †''Silvabestius
''Silvabestius'' is an extinct genus of marsupial dating to the Early Miocene. They were grazing animals about the size of a modern sheep.
This animal is known from two skulls found close together which have come to be known as the "Madonna and ...
''
**** Genus †''Neohelos
''Neohelos'' is an extinct diprotodontid marsupial, that lived from the early to middle-Miocene. There are four species assigned to this genus, ''Neohelos tirarensis'', the type species, ''N. stirtoni'', ''N. solus'' and ''N. davidridei''. ''N. ...
''
**** Genus †''Raemeotherium
''Raemeotherium'' is an extinct genus of diprotodont marsupial from the late Oligocene Namba Formation of South Australia. It was much smaller than other diprotodonts, approximately the size of a lamb, and comparatively gracile. It is usually pl ...
''
**** Genus †''Plaisiodon
''Plaisiodon'' is an extinct genus of Zygomaturinae from the late Miocene Alcoota Fossil Beds in the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian te ...
''
**** Genus †''Zygomaturus
''Zygomaturus'' is an extinct genus of giant marsupial belonging to the family Diprotodontidae which inhabited Australia from the Late Miocene to Late Pleistocene.
Description
It was a large animal, weighing 500 kg (1100 lbs) or ...
''
**** Genus †''Kolopsis
''Kolopsis'' is an extinct genus of diprotodontid marsupials from Australia and Papua New Guinea. It contains three species, although ''K. rotundus'' may be more closely related to other zygomaturines than to ''Kolopsis''.
*†''Kolopsis rotu ...
''
**** Genus †''Kolopsoides
''Kolopsoides'' is an extinct genus of Zygomaturinae marsupial from the Otibanda Formation, Pliocene of Watut River, Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Inde ...
''
**** Genus †''Hulitherium
''Hulitherium tomasetti'' (meaning "Huli beast", after the Huli people) is an extinct zygomaturine marsupial from New Guinea during the Pleistocene. The species name honours Berard Tomasetti, a Catholic priest in Papua New Guinea, who brought t ...
''
**** Genus †''Maokopia
''Maokopia'' is an extinct genus of Zygomaturinae from the Late Pleistocene of Irian Jaya, New Guinea. It is known from a partial skull and was a comparatively small species of diprotodontid, weighing 100 kg. Murray (1992) suggested that it ...
''
** Family †Palorchestidae
Palorchestidae is an extinct family of diprotodont marsupials whose members are sometimes referred to as marsupial tapirs due to their superficial similarity to true tapirs.
Genera
The family consists of the following four genera:
* ''Propalor ...
: ( marsupial tapirs)
*** Genus †''Palorchestes
''Palorchestes'' ("ancient leaper or dancer") is an extinct genus of terrestrial animal, terrestrial, herbivorous marsupials of the family (biology), family Palorchestidae. The genus was endemic to Australia, living from the Miocene through to th ...
''
*** Genus †'' Propalorchestes''
*** Genus †'' Ngapakaldia''
*** Genus †'' Pitikantia''
References
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1067017
Chattian first appearances