Vombatiformes
Encyclopedia
Vombatiformes is one of the three suborders of the large marsupial
order Diprotodontia
. Five of the seven known families
within this suborder are extinct; only the families Phascolarctidae
, with the Koala
, and Vombatidae, with three extant species of wombat
, survive.
Among the extinct families are Diprotodontidae
, which includes the diprotodon
, believed by many to be the inspiration for the bunyip
. "Vombatiformes" is neo-Latin for "wombat-shaped things", and took its name from its type family.
The suborder Vombatiformes, with its closely related members and their compact body form, contrasts with the other two diprotodont suborders, the Macropodiformes
: kangaroo
s, wallabies
and quokka
s; and the Phalangeriformes: possum
s, including the gliders like the wrist-winged gliders. The Koala and wombats are believed by many biologists to share a common ancestor and to have diverged only recently in the Cenozoic
.
Marsupial
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
order Diprotodontia
Diprotodontia
Diprotodontia is a large order of about 120 marsupial mammals including the kangaroos, wallabies, possums, koala, wombats, and many others. Extinct diprotodonts include the rhinoceros-sized Diprotodon, and Thylacoleo, the so-called "marsupial lion"....
. Five of the seven known families
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
within this suborder are extinct; only the families Phascolarctidae
Phascolarctidae
Phascolarctidae is a family of marsupials of the order Diprotodontia, consisting of only one extant species, the Koala, six well known fossil species, with another 5 less well known fossil species, and 2 fossil species whose taxonomy is debatable but is put in this group...
, with the Koala
Koala
The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae....
, and Vombatidae, with three extant species of wombat
Wombat
Wombats are Australian marsupials; they are short-legged, muscular quadrupeds, approximately in length with a short, stubby tail. They are adaptable in their habitat tolerances, and are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland areas of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania, as well as...
, survive.
Among the extinct families are Diprotodontidae
Diprotodontidae
Diprotodontidae is an extinct family of large, actively mobile marsupial, endemic to what would be Australia, during the Oligocene through Pleistocene periods from 28.4 mya—11,000 years ago, existing for approximately .-References:...
, which includes the diprotodon
Diprotodon
Diprotodon, meaning "two forward teeth", sometimes known as the Giant Wombat or the Rhinoceros Wombat, was the largest known marsupial that ever lived...
, believed by many to be the inspiration for the bunyip
Bunyip
The bunyip, or kianpraty, is a large mythical creature from Aboriginal mythology, said to lurk in swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds, and waterholes....
. "Vombatiformes" is neo-Latin for "wombat-shaped things", and took its name from its type family.
The suborder Vombatiformes, with its closely related members and their compact body form, contrasts with the other two diprotodont suborders, the Macropodiformes
Macropodiformes
Macropodiformes is one of the three suborders of the large marsupial order Diprotodontia. Kangaroos, wallabies and allies, bettongs, potaroos and rat kangaroos are all members of this suborder.- Classification :...
: kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
s, wallabies
Wallaby
A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...
and quokka
Quokka
The Quokka , the only member of the genus Setonix, is a small macropod about the size of a domestic cat. Like other marsupials in the macropod family , the Quokka is herbivorous and mainly nocturnal...
s; and the Phalangeriformes: possum
Possum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
s, including the gliders like the wrist-winged gliders. The Koala and wombats are believed by many biologists to share a common ancestor and to have diverged only recently in the Cenozoic
Cenozoic
The Cenozoic era is the current and most recent of the three Phanerozoic geological eras and covers the period from 65.5 mya to the present. The era began in the wake of the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous that saw the demise of the last non-avian dinosaurs and...
.
Classification
Suborder Vombatiformes- Family PhascolarctidaePhascolarctidaePhascolarctidae is a family of marsupials of the order Diprotodontia, consisting of only one extant species, the Koala, six well known fossil species, with another 5 less well known fossil species, and 2 fossil species whose taxonomy is debatable but is put in this group...
: Koala (1 modern species)- Genus †Cundokoala
- Genus †Perikoala
- Genus †Madakoala
- Genus †Koobor
- Genus †LitokoalaLitokoalaLitokoala is an extinct genus of marsupial, and along with Nimiokoala are closely related to the modern Koala. The three genera may have diverged at an earlier date, although the drying of the continent and the expansion of Eucalyptus forests towards the late Miocene may have delayed the evolution...
- Genus †Nimiokoala
- Genus PhascolarctosPhascolarctosThe genus Phascolarctos consists of 3 species, of which only one is alive today. The largest species was P. stirtoni that lived in the Pleistocene epoch...
- Family Vombatidae: wombats (3 modern species)
- Genus †RhizophascolomusRhizophascolomusRhizophascolomus is an extinct genus of marsupial....
- Genus Vombatus
- Genus †PhascolonusPhascolonusPhascolonus was a genus of prehistoric Australian marsupial in the wombat family. The largest species, Phascolonus gigas weighed as much as 200 kg. Phascolonus existed alongside with an even larger marsupial, Diprotodon, which weighed as much as two tons and was distantly related to wombats...
- Genus †WarendjaWarendjaWarendja is an extinct genus of marsupial.-References:*....
- Genus †RamasayiaRamasayiaRamasayia is an extinct genus of marsupial....
- Genus LasiorhinusLasiorhinusLasiorhinus is the genus containing the two hairy-nosed wombats, which are found in Australia. The species are:* Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat, Lasiorhinus krefftii* Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat, Lasiorhinus latifrons...
- Genus †Rhizophascolomus
- Family †IlariidaeIlariidaeThe family Ilariidae consists of 3 species of extinct marsupial in two genera. They are all found in the middle tertiary assemblage of South Australia. Closely related to Koobor of family Phascolarctidae, which was found in Hamilton Victoria. I. illumidens is the best preserved representative of...
- Genus †KuterintjaKuterintjaKuterintja is an extinct genus of marsupial of the family Ilariidae. Only one species has been described, Kuterintja ngama, from Late Oligocene of Australia.-References:...
- Genus †IlariaIlariaIlaria is an extinct genus of marsupial of the family Ilariidae, dating from the Late Oligocene of South Australia. Its diet consisted of leaves.- References :* Archer, M.; Flannery, T.; Hand, S.; Long, J. . UNSW Press, 2002. 244 pages....
- Genus †Kuterintja
- Family †PalorchestidaePalorchestidaeThe family Palorchestidae contains four genera with eight species described. All species are extinct.*Propalorchestes **P. novaculocephalus **P. painei *Ngapakaldia...
- Genus †PalorchestesPalorchestesPalorchestes is an extinct genus of terrestrial herbivorous marsupial of the family Palorchestidae. The genus was endemic to Australia, living from the Late Miocene subepoch through the Pleistocene epoch , and thought to be in existence for approximately .-Description:One species, Palorchestes...
- Genus †Propalorchestes
- Genus †Ngapakaldia
- Genus †Pitikantia
- Genus †Palorchestes
- Superfamily †Diprotodontoidea
- Genus †Alkwertatherium
- Family †Zygomaturidae
- Genus †SilvabestiusSilvabestiusSilvabestius is an extinct genus of marsupial dating to the Early Miocene. They were grazing animals about the size of a modern sheep.This animal is known from two skulls found close together which have come to be known as the "Madonna and Child" fossils.Silvabestius is an extinct genus of...
- Genus †NeohelosNeohelosNeohelos is an extinct sheep-sized marsupial from the late Oligocene to middle-Miocene aged deposits of Bullock Creek in the Northern Territory, Lake Ngapakaldi South Australia and riversleigh of Queensland. There are four species in this genera, N. tirarensis from Bullock Creek and the...
- Genus †RaemeotheriumRaemeotheriumRaemeotherium is an extinct genus of Zygomaturidae.-References:* Prehistoric Mammals of Australia and New Guinea: One Hundred Million Years of Evolution by John A. Long, Michael Archer, Timothy Flannery, and Suzanne Hand...
- Genus †PlaisiodonPlaisiodonPlaisiodon is an extinct genus of Zygomaturidae.-References:* Prehistoric Mammals of Australia and New Guinea: One Hundred Million Years of Evolution by John A. Long, Michael Archer, Timothy Flannery, and Suzanne Hand...
- Genus †ZygomaturusZygomaturusZygomaturus is an extinct giant marsupial from Australia during the Pleistocene. It had a heavy body and thick legs and is believed to be similar to the modern Pygmy Hippopotamus in both size and build. The genus moved on all fours. It lived in the wet coastal margins of Australia and became...
- Genus †KolopsisKolopsisKolopsis is an extinct genus of diprotodontid marsupials from Australia. It contains three species:*†Kolopsis rotundus Plane 1967*†Kolopsis torus Woodburne, 1967*†Kolopsis yperus Murray, Megirian & Wells, 1993K...
- Genus †KolopsoidesKolopsoidesKolopsoides is an extinct genus of Zygomaturidae.-References:* Prehistoric Mammals of Australia and New Guinea: One Hundred Million Years of Evolution by John A. Long, Michael Archer, Timothy Flannery, and Suzanne Hand...
- Genus †HulitheriumHulitheriumHulitherium is an extinct genus of Zygomaturidae, a marsupial from New Guinea during the Pleistocene...
- Genus †MaokopiaMaokopiaMaokopia is an extinct genus of Zygomaturidae.-References:* Prehistoric Mammals of Australia and New Guinea: One Hundred Million Years of Evolution by John A. Long, Michael Archer, Timothy Flannery, and Suzanne Hand...
- Genus †Silvabestius
- Family †DiprotodontidaeDiprotodontidaeDiprotodontidae is an extinct family of large, actively mobile marsupial, endemic to what would be Australia, during the Oligocene through Pleistocene periods from 28.4 mya—11,000 years ago, existing for approximately .-References:...
- Genus †BematheriumBematheriumBematherium is an extinct genus of marsupial.-Sources:* Wildlife of Gondwana: Dinosaurs and Other Vertebrates from the Ancient Supercontinent by Pat Vickers Rich, Thomas Hewitt Rich, Francesco Coffa, and Steven Morton...
- Genus †PyramiosPyramiosPyramios is an extinct genus of Diprotodontia from the Miocene of Australia.-References:* Prehistoric Mammals of Australia and New Guinea: One Hundred Million Years of Evolution by John A. Long, Michael Archer, Timothy Flannery, and Suzanne Hand...
- Genus †NototheriumNototheriumNototherium is an extinct genus of marsupial. This mammal had hypsodont molars. It was a relative of the larger Diprotodon and a distant kin to modern wombats too...
- Genus †MeniscolophusMeniscolophusMeniscolophus is an extinct genus of Diprotodontia.-References:* Prehistoric Mammals of Australia and New Guinea: One Hundred Million Years of Evolution by John A. Long, Michael Archer, Timothy Flannery, and Suzanne Hand...
- Genus †EuryzygomaEuryzygomaEuryzygoma is an extinct genus of marsupial.- References :*"Australia's Lost World: Prehistoric Animals of Riversleigh" by Michael Archer, Suzanne J. Hand, and Henk Godthelp...
- Genus †DiprotodonDiprotodonDiprotodon, meaning "two forward teeth", sometimes known as the Giant Wombat or the Rhinoceros Wombat, was the largest known marsupial that ever lived...
- Genus †EuoweniaEuoweniaEuowenia is an extinct genus of Diprotodontia from the Pliocene. It is known only from three locations on mainland Australia, Chinchilla iin Queensland, Menindee in New South Wales and the Tirari formation on the Wruburton River in the Lake Eyre basin....
- Genus †StenomerusStenomerusStenomerus is an extinct genus of Diprotodontia....
- Genus †Bematherium