A new diminutive durophagous Miocene dasyuromorphian (Marsupialia, Malleodectidae) from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northern Australia

Churchill, Timothy J.; Archer, Michael; Hand, Suzanne J.; Myers, Troy; Gillespie, Anna K.; Beck, Robin M. D.

doi:10.1080/02724634.2023.2170804

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 66 publications

(146 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Phylogenetic tree of the Dasyuromorphia (modified from Churchill et al 2022) with illustrations of species investigated in this study, the numbat Myrmecobius fasciatus (above; modified from an original photograph by M. Pot, Martybugs at en.wikipedia under a Creative Commons licence) and the spotted‐tail quoll Dasyurus maculatus (below; modified from original photographs by C. Dingle and R. Craig).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All other extant Dasyuromorphians belong within the Dasyuridae, ranging from diminutive forms such as Planigale and Ningaui species that weigh less than 10 g in body mass, and slightly larger Sminthopsis , Parantechinus, Dasycercus and Phascogale species, through to cat‐sized Dasyurus species and the Tasmanian devil ( Sarcophilus harrisii ). Two other families, Thylacinidae and the obscure Malleodectidae that were adapted for snail‐eating, are wholly extinct (Churchill et al, 2022; Rovinsky et al, 2019). Dental and basicranial differences of the numbat indicate an early divergence of Myrmecobiidae from the dasyurid lineage.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Comparative three‐dimensional jaw muscle anatomy of marsupial carnivores (Dasyurus spp.) and the termite‐eating numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus)

Thomas,

Shaw,

Tay

et al. 2024

Journal of Morphology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Among marsupials, the endangered numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) is the only obligate myrmecophage with a diet comprised strictly of termites. Like many other specialised myrmecophagous mammals, numbats have a gracile and highly specialised skull morphology with an elongated rostrum and small braincase. Myrmecobiidae is one of four taxonomic families within the Australasian marsupial order Dasyuromorphia, and to date, the muscular anatomy of any member of this group is relatively poorly known. We utilised microdissection and contrast‐enhanced microcomputed tomography scanning to provide the first comprehensive qualitative and quantitative descriptions of jaw muscle anatomy in numbats and quolls (Dasuyrus species). The arrangement of the jaw muscles across these species was conservative, both in gross anatomy and muscle proportions, corresponding to a ‘generalised’ mammalian pattern. In contrast to Dasyurus, the jaw muscles of the numbat were greatly reduced. Many aspects of the muscle anatomy of the numbat were similar to patterns reported in other myrmecophagous species, particularly a greatly reduced temporalis muscle. Unusually, the digastric muscle in the numbat was comprised of a single, large anterior belly while the posterior belly was absent. We propose that the enlarged anterior belly of the digastric may be linked to jaw stabilisation and coordination of tongue movements during feeding. The lateral insertion and fascial connection of the digastric to the tongue in numbats may also aid in distributing stress evenly across the jaw and minimise muscle fatigue. The muscle descriptions and three‐dimensional models provided in this study will facilitate further analysis of musculoskeletal adaptation and evolution within the Dasyuromorphia.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%