Nullarbor dwarf bettong
Nullarbor dwarf bettong | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
Order: | Diprotodontia |
Family: | Potoroidae |
Genus: | Bettongia |
Species: | †B. pusilla
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Binomial name | |
†Bettongia pusilla McNamara, 1997[2]
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The Nullarbor dwarf bettong, Bettongia pusilla, was a
Taxonomy
The Nullarbor dwarf bettong was a species of
The epithet pusilla is derived from Latin, a reference to the small size of the animal. The English vernacular Nullarbor dwarf bettong was suggested by McNamara and is used to refer to this species.[4][2]
Description
Betongia pusilla show a form of dentition and jaw structure that distinguishes them from others of the genus. The mandible is lighter than the extant species, and the teeth are smaller. Molars of Bettongia pusilla are straight sided with an elevated crown, which contrasts with the bulbous shape of other Bettongia species.[4]
Distribution and habitat
Only known from a series of skeletal remains found in caves on the Nullarbor Plain, an arid desert region of southern Australia. The species is assumed to have become extinct in the states of Western and South Australia during the period of colonisation.[4]
References
- . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ a b c McNamara, J.A. (1997). "Some smaller macropod fossils of South Australia". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 117: 97–106.
- Lundelius, E.L.; Turnbull, W.D. (1984). "The mammalian fauna of Madura Cave, Western Australia. Macropodidae: Potoroinae /" (14). Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History.)
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