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The skeleton of Congruus kitcheneri, a semiarboreal kangaroo from the Pleistocene of southern Australia6.71 MB
Published (Version of Record)CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
The skeleton of Congruus kitcheneri, a semiarboreal kangaroo from the Pleistocene of southern Australia
Royal Society Open Science, Vol.8(3), 202216
2021
Abstract
The macropodine kangaroo, Wallabia kitcheneri, was first described in 1989 from a Pleistocene deposit within Mammoth Cave, southwestern Australia, on the basis of a few partial dentaries and maxilla fragments. Here, we recognize W. kitcheneri within the Pleistocene assemblages of the Thylacoleo Caves, south-central Australia, where it is represented by several cranial specimens and two near-complete skeletons, a probable male and female. We reallocate this species to the hitherto monotypic genus Congruus. Congruus kitcheneri differs from all other macropodid species by having a highly unusual pocket within the wall of the nasal cavity. It is distinguished from C. congruus by having a longer, narrower rostrum, a taller occiput and a deeper jugal. Congruus is closest to Protemnodon in overall cranial morphology but is smaller and less robust. In most postcranial attributes, Congruus also resembles Protemnodon, including general limb robustness and the atypical ratio of 14 thoracic to five lumbar vertebrae. It is distinguished by the high mobility of its glenohumeral joints, the development of muscle attachment sites for strong adduction and mobility of the forelimb, and large, robust manual and pedal digits with strongly recurved distal phalanges. These adaptations resemble those of tree-kangaroos more than ground-dwelling macropodines. We interpret this to imply that C. kitcheneri was semiarboreal, with a propensity to climb and move slowly through trees. This is the first evidence for the secondary adoption of a climbing habit within crown macropodines.
Details
- Title
- The skeleton of Congruus kitcheneri, a semiarboreal kangaroo from the Pleistocene of southern Australia
- Authors/Creators
- N.M. Warburton (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityG.J. Prideaux (Author/Creator) - Flinders University
- Publication Details
- Royal Society Open Science, Vol.8(3), 202216
- Publisher
- The Royal Society
- Identifiers
- 991005544674807891
- Copyright
- © 2021 The Authors
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Climate-Impacted Terrestrial Ecosystems; Harry Butler Institute
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Citation topics
- 8 Earth Sciences
- 8.93 Archaeology
- 8.93.805 Mammalia
- Web Of Science research areas
- Zoology
- ESI research areas
- Plant & Animal Science