| Diprotodontidae | |
|---|---|
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| Restoration ofDiprotodon | |
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| Fossil ofZygomaturus | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Diprotodontia |
| Superfamily: | †Diprotodontoidea |
| Family: | †Diprotodontidae Gill, 1872 |
| Subfamilies & genera | |
See text | |
Diprotodontidae is anextinctfamily of large herbivorousmarsupials, endemic toAustralia andNew Guinea during theOligocene throughPleistocene periods from 28.4 million to 40,000 years ago.[1]
The family primarily consisted of large quadrupedal terrestrialbrowsers, notably including the largest marsupial that ever lived, the rhino-sizedDiprotodon.[2]Nimbadon, which is often considered a basal diprotodontid, wasarboreal.[3] Diprotodontids wereplantigrade (foot and toes flat relative to the ground). In most diprotodontids, the forelimbs were not specialised and were capable of being used for functions other than movement. Some later diprotodontids from the Pliocene onwards likeAmbulator andDiprotodon developed elephant-like forelimbs specialised for walking with modified wristbones which functioned as aheel, along with the development of footpads, which means that the digits probably did not contact the ground, as evidenced by the lack of toes on footprints ofDiprotodon.[4][5] In at least some representatives of the clade, the inside of the skull was lightened by large interiorsinus spaces.[6]
At least some diprotodontids such asDiprotodon are thought to have lived in herds.[7]
Diprotodontids are members of theVombatomorphia, meaning that their closest living relatives arewombats, though they are more closed related toPalorchestidae, with both families placed in the Diprotodontoidea.[8] Traditionally the family is divided into two subfamilies, Diprotodontinae and Zygomaturinae. The taxonomy of diprotodontids is in need of revision, as historically many diprotodontids were diagnosed solely on tooth morphology, however the morphology of the premolar teeth of diprotodontid species is highly variable between individuals, with the molar morphology often very similar in species that differ greatly in skeletal anatomy, making the taxonomic utility of morphological characters related to teeth questionable.[5]
The group first appeared during the LateOligocene, with representatives that were mostlysheep-sized, and substantially diversified beginning during the LateMiocene, reaching an apex of diversity during thePliocene with seven genera, likely due to the increase of open forested landscapes. The last known members of the group includingDiprotodon andZygomaturus from mainland Australia, andHulitherium andMaokopia from New Guinea became extinct during the Late Pleistocene around 40,000 years ago as part of theLate Pleistocene megafauna extinctions, following the arrival of humans to Australia-New Guinea.[9]
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