A new Early–Middle Miocene phalangerid (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae) from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park, northwestern Queensland

Figures & data

Figure 1. Location of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland, and localities where Archerus johntoniae has been recovered (modified from Myers et al. 2017).

Table 1. Described fossil phalangerid species.

Genus	Species	Species author	Age	Location	Faunal zone^a
Trichosurus	hamiltonensis	Flannery et al., 1987	Early Pliocene	Hamilton, Vic.	–
‘Trichosurus’	dicksoni	Flannery & Archer, 1987	Middle-late Middle Miocene	Riversleigh, Qld	C & D
Archerus	johntoniae	Present study	Early-Middle Miocene	Riversleigh, Qld	B & C
Onirocuscus	notialis	(Flannery et al., 1987)	Early Pliocene	Hamilton, Vic.	–
	rupina	Crosby, 2007	Middle Miocene	Riversleigh, Qld	C
	reidi	(Flannery & Archer, 1987)	Middle Miocene	Riversleigh, Qld	C
	inversus	Crosby, 2007	Early Miocene	Riversleigh, Qld	B
	silvacultrix	Crosby, 2007	Early Miocene	Riversleigh, Qld	B
Wyulda	asherjoeli	Crosby, Nagy & Archer, 2001	Early Miocene	Riversleigh, Qld	B
Eocuscus	sarastamppi	Case, Meredith & Person, 2008	Late Oligocene	Lake Palankarinna, S.A	Etadunna Fmn B

^aRiversleigh Faunal Zone (A–D) as defined by Arena et al. 2016, unless otherwise stated.

Figure 2. A, A’, Stereophotograph of the holotype right dentary of Archerus johntoniae (QM F40103). Teeth present are p3, m1–4. B, Lingual view. C, Buccal view.

Figure 3. A, Buccal view of the paratype right maxilla of Archerus johntoniae (QM F50418). Teeth present are P1, P3, M1–3. B, B’, Stereophotograph of occlusal view.

Figure 4. Canonical variates analysis of extant and extinct phalangerids. Axes 1 and 2 represent 52.01% and 21.43% of total variation respectively. ■ Trichosurus spp.; ▲ Ailurops ursinus; ● Spilocuscus maculatus; × Phalanger spp.; + Onirocuscus spp.; □ ‘Trichosurus’ dicksoni; ○ Archerus johntoniae; ◆ Wyulda squamicaudata; ❋ Strigocuscus celebensis. Biplot variable abbreviations are explained in Materials and Methods and listed in Supplemental material.

Figure 5. Canonical variates analysis of extant and extinct phalangerids. Axes 2 and 3 represent 21.43% and 9.74% of total variation respectively. ■ Trichosurus spp.; ▲ Ailurops ursinus; ● Spilocuscus maculatus; × Phalanger spp.; + Onirocuscus spp.; □ ‘Trichosurus’ dicksoni; ○ Archerus johntoniae; ◆ Wyulda squamicaudata; ❋ Strigocuscus celebensis. Biplot variable abbreviations are explained in Materials and Methods and listed in Supplemental material.

Myers, T., Black, K., Archer, M. & Hand, S., 2017. The identification of Oligo-Miocene mammalian palaeocommunities from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, Australia and an appraisal of palaeoecological techniques. Peerj 5, e3511.

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Flannery, T., Archer, M. & Maynes, G., 1987. The phylogenetic relationships of living phalangerids (Phalangeroidea: Marsupialia) with a suggested new taxonomy. In Possums and Opossums: Studies in Evolution Volume 2. Archer, M., ed., Surrey Beatty and Sons, Sydney, 477–506.

 Google Scholar

Flannery, T. & Archer, M., 1987. Strigocuscus reidi and Trichosurus dicksoni, two new fossil phalangerids (Marsupialia: Phalangerinae) from the Miocene of northwestern Queensland. In Possums and Opossums: Studies in Evolution, Volume 2. Archer, M., ed., Surrey Beatty and Sons, Sydney, 527–536.

 Google Scholar

Flannery, T., Turnbull, W., Rich, T. & Lundelius, E., 1987. The phalangerids (Marsupialia: Phalangeridae) of the early Pliocene Hamilton Local Fauna, southwestern Victoria. In Possums and Opossums: Studies in Evolution. Archer, M., ed., Surrey Beatty and Sons, Sydney, 537–546.

 Google Scholar

Crosby, K., 2007. Rediagnosis of the fossil species assigned to Strigocuscus (Marsupialia, Phalangeridae), with description of a new genus and three new species. Alcheringa 31, 33–58.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Crosby, K., Nagy, M. & Archer, M., 2001. Wyulda asherjoeli, a new phalangerid (Diprotodontia: Marsupialia) from the early Miocene of Riversleigh, northwestern Queensland. Memoirs of the Association of Australasian Palaeontologists 25, 77–82.

 Google Scholar

Case, J., Meredith, R. & Person, J., 2008. A pre-Neogene phalangerid possum from South Australia. Museum of Northern Arizona Bulletin 65, 659–676.

 Google Scholar

Arena, D.A., Travouillon, K.J., Beck, R.M.D., Black, K.H., Gillespie, A.K., Myers, T.J., Archer, M. & Hand, S.J., 2016. Mammalian lineages and the biostratigraphy and biochronology of Cenozoic faunas from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, Australia. Lethaia 49, 43–60.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar