Urrayira whitei gen. et sp. nov.: a dasyuromorphian (Mammalia: Marsupialia) with incipient zalambdodonty from the Middle Pleistocene of Queensland, Australia

Figures & data

Figure 1. Map of Queensland showing fossil localities mentioned in the text. 1: Mount Etna; 2: Russenden Cave; 3: Floraville; 4: Riversleigh World Heritage Area.

Figure 2. Urrayira whitei gen. et sp. nov. compared with Planigale sp., showing terminology of major molar features. A, B, Urrayira whitei, A, left M2; B, left M2. C, D, Planigale sp., C, left M2; D, left M2. Abbreviations: ANC, anterior cingulum; ME, metacone; MTC, metacrista; PA, paracone; PMC, premetacrista; POP, postprotocrista; PPC, postparacrista; PR, protocone; PRC, paracrista; PRP, preprotocrista; PSC, posterior cingulum; STB, stylar cusp B; STD, stylar cusp D; (lower): ACD, anterior cingulid; CRO, cristid obliqua; HCD, hypoconulid; HCR, hypocristid; HYD, hypoconid; MCD, metacristid; MED, metaconid; PAD, paraconid; PCD, paracristid; PRD, protoconid; PSD, posterior cingulid.

Table 1. Measurements of the dentition of Urrayira whitei.

	QMF51743	QMF53663	QMF53664	QMF53665	QMF53666	QMF53667	QMF55122	QMF55121
	P^2 length (alveolar)	0.8
M^1–3 length	3.4
M^1 length	1.3				1.4
M^1 width	1.1				0.9
M^2 length	1.2	1.2		1.3		1.2
M^2 width	1.3	1.4		1.4		1.1
M^3 length	1	1.1	1	1.1
M^3 width	1.2	1.5	1.4	1.4
M^4 length		0.6
M2 length							1.2
M2 trigonid width							0.8
M2 talonid width							0.7
M3 length								1.3
M3 trigonid width								0.9
M3 talonid width								0.8

All measurements in millimetres. Note that the measurements of QMF53667 are likely affected by heavy wear on that specimen.

Figure 3. Urrayira whitei gen. et sp. nov. A, B, QMF51743 holotype left maxilla with M1–3 in occlusal and lingual views; C, QMF53663 paratype left maxilla with M2–4; D, E, QMF55121 left M3 in occlusolateral and buccal views; F, G, QMF55122 right M2 in occlusolateral and occlusal views. Scale bars: A–C = 2 mm; D–G = 1 mm.

Figure 4. Results from phylogenetic analyses of a 174 morphological character matrix developed for resolving relationships within Dasyuromorphia, with a molecular scaffold enforced as a backbone constraint. A, Strict consensus of 108 most parsimonious trees (length = 871 steps) from maximum parsimony analysis using TNT v. 1.5; numbers to the left of the nodes are support values calculated as bootstrap percentages (based on 2000 bootstrap replicates). B, 50% majority rule consensus of post-burn-in trees from undated Bayesian analysis using MrBayes 3.2.7; numbers to the left of nodes are support values calculated as Bayesian posterior probabilities (expressed as percentages). Note that, in both cases, the support values should be treated with scepticism due to the use of a molecular scaffold.