Riversleigh fauna

Riversleigh fauna is the collective term for any species of animal identified in fossil sites located in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area.

Faunal zones

The presence of the Riversleigh in the Oligo-Miocene has been exceptionally well preserved throughout a number of time periods. These has been classified by four "faunal zones",[1] and may be summarised as,

• Faunal Zone A (FZA): late Oligocene, a period 23.03–28.4 million years before present
• Faunal Zone B (FZB): early Miocene, 15.97-23.03 myr
• Faunal Zone C (FZC): middle Miocene, 11.608-15.97 myr
• Faunal Zone D (FZD): late Miocene, 5.332-11.608 myr

More recent fossil specimens has also been coded to the period of deposition,

• Pliocene (PLIO), a period 2.588-5.332 myr
• Pleistocene (PLEIS), 0.0117-2.588 myr
• Holocene, noted as (HOLO) to indicate the period dated as following the Pleistocene, from the present day to 11,700 years ago.

Faunal lists

The following are incomplete lists of mammals, birds, fish, and invertebrate species and genera included in the Riversleigh fauna, according to the compilation of taxa by researchers at the University of New South Wales and Queensland (wakaleo.net).[2] A survey of species-level taxa described in the Riversleigh Fauna in the decades of research preceding 2006, resulted in a total greater than 290 species.[3]

The fauna of Riversleigh includes placental mammals, especially bats, and the various families of marsupials. Due to the novelty of some taxa discovered in the area, some species have been placed in tentative arrangements or unknown lineages placed as sometimes undescribed higher taxa.

The Mammalia discovered at the site includes the Yingabalanaridae (weirdodonta) family, whose classification within the order is currently uncertain.[4]

Bats

• Brevipalatus mcculloughi Hand 2005, a hipposiderid bat, resembling the modern orange leaf-nosed Rhinonicteris aurantia
• Macroderma gigas a carnivorous bat, still living and known as the ghost bat
• Macroderma malugara a relation of the ghost bat, that existed in the middle Miocene
• Rhinonicteris tedfordi

Marsupials and Monotremes

• Badjcinus, a precursor of the thylacine
• Balbaroo, an ancient kangaroo
• Barinya, a carnivorous dasyuromorphian
• Bettongia, a rat-kangaroo
• Bulungamaya, an ancient kangaroo
• Bulungu, a mouse-sized insectivorous bandicoot
• Burramys, the mountain pygmy possum
• Cercartetus, an ancient possum
• Chunia, an ancient possum
• Djaludjangi, an ancient gliding possum
• Djilgaringa, an ancient possum
• Durudawiri, an ancient possum
• Ekaltadeta, a carnivorous rat-kangaroo
• Ektopodon, an ancient possum
• Galadi, a carnivorous bandicoot
• Galanarla, an ancient kangaroo
• Ganawamaya, an ancient kangaroo
• Ganbulanyi, a carnivorous dasyuromorphian
• Ganguroo, an ancient kangaroo
• Gawinga, an ancient ringtail possum
• Gumardee, a rat-kangaroo
• Hypsiprymnodon, a frugivorous rat-kangaroo
• Joculusium muizoni, a carnivorous dasyuromorphian
• Kuterintja, an extinct marsupial of the family Ilariidae
• Malleodectes, a marsupial with snail eating dentition
• Marada, a sheep-like browser
• Marlu, an ancient ringtail possum
• Maximucinus, a precursor of the thylacine
• Mayigriphus, a carnivorous dasyuromorphian
• Muribacinus, a precursor of the thylacine
• Mutpuracinus, a precursor of the thylacine
• Nambaroo, an ancient kangaroo
• Namilamadeta, an extinct marsupial of the family Wynyardiidae
• Naraboryctes, a marsupial mole
• Neohelos, a sheep-like browser
• Ngamalacinus, a precursor of the thylacine
• Ngapakaldia, a marsupial tapir
• Nimbacinus, a precursor of the thylacine
• Nimbadon, a sheep-like browser[5]
• Nimiokoala, an ancient koala[6]
• Obdurodon, a giant platypus
• Onirocuscus, an ancient brushtail possum
• Paljara, an ancient ringtail possum
• Palorchestes, a marsupial tapir
• Phascolarctos, an ancient koala[6]
• Pildra, an ancient ringtail possum
• Priscakoala, an ancient koala[6]
• Priscileo, a marsupial lion
• Propalorchestes, a marsupial tapir
• Rhinonicteris tedfordi, a microbat.[7]
• Rhizophascolonus, an ancient wombat
• Rhizosthenurus, an ancient kangaroo
• Silvabestius, a sheep-like browser
• Thylacinus, a precursor of the thylacine
• Trichosurus, an ancient brushtail possum
• Wabulacinus, a precursor of the thylacine
• Wabularoo, an ancient kangaroo
• Wakaleo, a marsupial lion
• Wakiewakie, a rat-kangaroo
• Wanburoo, an ancient kangaroo
• Warendja, an ancient wombat
• Wururoo, an ancient kangaroo
• Wyulda, an ancient brushtail possum
• Yalkaparidon, a bizarre marsupial
• Yarala, a tube-nosed bandicoot
• Yingabalanara richardsoni (FZB) a mysterious mammal

Birds

• Australlus, a flightless rail
• Barawertornis, a mihirung
• Cacatua, a cockatoo
• Ciconia, a stork
• Collocalia, a swiftlet
• Corvitalusoides, an ancient passerine
• Emuarius, an emuwary
• Eoanseranas, a magpie-goose
• Kurrartapu, a cracticid
• Longmornis, an Old World oriole
• Melopsittacus, a budgerigar
• Menura, a lyrebird
• Orthonyx, a logrunner
• Pengana, a flexible-footed bird of prey
• Pinpanetta, a stiff-tailed duck
• Primophaps, a bronzewing pigeon

Reptiles

• Baru, the cleaver-headed crocodile
• Egernia, a skink
• Elseya, a side neck turtle
• Emydura, a side neck turtle
• Incongruelaps, a venomous snake
• Meiolania, a horned turtle
• Mekosuchus, a crocodile
• Morelia, a python
• Nanowana, extinct snakes (Madtsoiidae)
• Physignathus, a dragon lizard
• Pseudemydura, a side neck turtle
• Pygopus, a legless lizard
• Quinkana, a crocodile
• Ramphotyphlops, a blind snake
• Sulcatidens, a dragon lizard
• Tiliqua, a skink
• Trilophosuchus, a tree-dwelling crocodile
• Varanus, a monitor lizard
• Warkalania, a horned turtle
• Wonambi, extinct snakes (Madtsoiidae)

Amphibians

• Crinia, a frog
• Kyarranus, a frog
• Lechriodus, a frog
• Limnodynastes, a frog
• Litoria, a tree-dwelling frog

Fishes

• Mioceratodus, a lungfish
• Neoceratodus, a lungfish

References

1. "Faunal zones". Faunal encyclopedia. wakaleo.net. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
2. "About wakaleo.net". Faunal encyclopaedia. wakaleo.net. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
3. Archer, M.; et al. (1 January 2006). "Current status of species-level representation in faunas from selected fossil localities in the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland" (PDF). Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 30 (sup1): 1–17. doi:10.1080/03115510609506851. ISSN 0311-5518. S2CID 56390817.
4. "Mammals (Mammalia)". Riversleigh faunal encyclopedia. wakaleo.net. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
5. "Cave yields marsupial fossil haul". BBC News. 19 July 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
6. Dan Gaffney (19 December 2009). "Loud and lazy but didn't chew gum: Ancient koalas". PhysOrg. PhysOrg.com. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
7. Long, J.A.; Archer, M. (2002). Prehistoric Mammals of Australia and New Guinea: One Hundred Million Years of Evolution. UNSW Press. p. 184. ISBN 9780868404356.