Wabulacinus macknessi
| Wabulacinus macknessi Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Dasyuromorphia |
| Family: | †Thylacinidae |
| Genus: | †Wabulacinus |
| Species: | †W. macknessi
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Wabulacinus macknessi Churchill et al., 2024
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Thylacinus macknessi Muirhead, 1992 | |
Wabulacinus macknessi is a species of thylacine during the early Miocene and it is named after Brian Mackness, a supporter of Australian vertebrate paleontology. As of 2024, it has been reassigned to Wabulacinus and is now considered synonymous with Thylacinus macknessi.[1]
W. macknessi was a quadrupedal marsupial predator, that in appearance looked similar to a dog with a long snout. Its molar teeth were specialized for carnivory; the cups and crest were reduced or elongated to give the molars a cutting blade.
When the species was first described, only the posterior section of the jaw was known. Two years later in 1995 at the same fossil site, Muirhead and Gillespie found the anterior half of the specimen in a block of limestone. Its fossils have been found in north-western Queensland at the Riversleigh world heritage area at Neville's Garden Site.[2][3]
References
- ^ Timothy, J.C.; Michael, Archer; Suzanne, J.H. (2024). "Three new thylacinids (Marsupialia, Thylacinidae) from late Oligocene deposits of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 44 (1) e2384595. Bibcode:2024JVPal..44E4595C. doi:10.1080/02724634.2024.2384595.
- ^ Muirhead, J. (1992). "A specialised thylacinid, Thylacinus macknessi, (Marsupialia: Thylacinidae) from Miocene deposits of Riversleigh, northwestern Queensland" (PDF). Australian Mammalogy. 15 (1): 67–76. doi:10.1071/AM92009.
- ^ Muirhead, J.; Gillespie, A.K. (1995). "Additional Parts of The Type Specimen of Thylacinus macknessi (Marsupialia: Thylacinidae) From Miocene Deposits of Riversleigh, Northwestern Queensland" (PDF). Australian Mammalogy. 18 (1): 55–60. doi:10.1071/AM95055.