Early Divergence of Macropodiformes and a New Species of Potoroinae (Late Oligocene Faunal Turnover event) Etadunna Formation, South Australia
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Judd Case
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
May 2025
End Date
May 2025
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Biology
Abstract
The Etadunna Formation, located in the Lake Eyre Basin South Australia, has significantly contributed to our understanding of macropod evolution in Australia. This is largely due to its fossil record, which includes some of the oldest known members of the Macropodidae family. Additionally, deposits reveal the presence of all four Macropodiform families: the extant Hypsiprymnodontidae, Potoroidae, and Macropodidae, as well as the extinct Balbaridae. In the lower faunal zones of the formation, only a single taxon, the potoroid (Genus K gen. et sp. nov.), is present, and terrestrial herbivores with selenodont dentition dominate. In contrast, higher faunal zones show a shift, with terrestrial herbivores exhibiting lophodont or semilophodont dentition becoming prominent. Furthermore, a greater diversity of Macropodiformes is observed in these higher zones, including a potoroid (Purtia mosaicus), two new balbarid species of Nambaroo (Nambaroo sp. nov. 1 and 2), and two new macropodid taxa (Genus P gen. et sp. nov. 1 and Genus W gen. et sp. nov.). This faunal and dental turnover suggests not only a dietary shift among these species but also a remarkable diversification, with numerous new species represented within a single locality. Studying the differences in dentition between these species will provide valuable insight into how these species coexisted.
Recommended Citation
Scharpf, Jessica and Case, Judd, "Early Divergence of Macropodiformes and a New Species of Potoroinae (Late Oligocene Faunal Turnover event) Etadunna Formation, South Australia" (2025). 2025 Symposium. 20.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2025/ps_2025/p2_2025/20
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Early Divergence of Macropodiformes and a New Species of Potoroinae (Late Oligocene Faunal Turnover event) Etadunna Formation, South Australia
PUB NCR
The Etadunna Formation, located in the Lake Eyre Basin South Australia, has significantly contributed to our understanding of macropod evolution in Australia. This is largely due to its fossil record, which includes some of the oldest known members of the Macropodidae family. Additionally, deposits reveal the presence of all four Macropodiform families: the extant Hypsiprymnodontidae, Potoroidae, and Macropodidae, as well as the extinct Balbaridae. In the lower faunal zones of the formation, only a single taxon, the potoroid (Genus K gen. et sp. nov.), is present, and terrestrial herbivores with selenodont dentition dominate. In contrast, higher faunal zones show a shift, with terrestrial herbivores exhibiting lophodont or semilophodont dentition becoming prominent. Furthermore, a greater diversity of Macropodiformes is observed in these higher zones, including a potoroid (Purtia mosaicus), two new balbarid species of Nambaroo (Nambaroo sp. nov. 1 and 2), and two new macropodid taxa (Genus P gen. et sp. nov. 1 and Genus W gen. et sp. nov.). This faunal and dental turnover suggests not only a dietary shift among these species but also a remarkable diversification, with numerous new species represented within a single locality. Studying the differences in dentition between these species will provide valuable insight into how these species coexisted.
