Miralinidae (Marsupialia: Phalangeroidea) from northern Australia, including the youngest occurrence of the family

Abstract

Five isolated molars from two localities in the Northern Territory, the middle Miocene Bullock Creek and late Oligocene Kangaroo Well sites, are assigned to the new miralinid genus Barguru, which includes the three new species: Barguru kayir, Barguru maru and Barguru kula. The Miralinidae was previously thought to be restricted to the late Oligocene and early Miocene, but the occurrence at Bullock Creek extends the time range of this family into the middle Miocene. Analysis of metaloph development in the Miralinidae suggests that loph formation in this family followed a different trajectory to that of phalangerids.

Key words:

• Miralinidae
• miralinine
• durudawirine
• Bullock Creek
• Kangaroo Well
• Northern Territory
• phalangeroid