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Bulungamayinae
Bulungamayinae is a subfamily that allies fossil species of marsupials, showing close morphological features found in the modern potoroines, the bettongs and potoroos of Australia. The group possess characteristics of their dentition that place them in an alliance with the modern potoroos, smaller long nosed fungivore Fungivory or mycophagy is the process of organisms consuming fungi. Many different organisms have been recorded to gain their energy from consuming fungi, including birds, mammals, insects, plants, amoebas, gastropods, nematodes, bacteria and oth ...s that dig and burrow. The premolars and incisors resemble the other potoroines, yet the molars accord with the herbivorous macropodids such as the kangaroos. Other characteristics of the ancestral group are found the two divergent families, and they were larger than modern potoroine species at around five to ten kilograms in weight, slightly more than the largest, the species '' Aepyprymnus rufescens''. The genera ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Potoroine
Potoroidae is a family of marsupials, small Australian animals known as bettongs, potoroos, and rat-kangaroos. All are rabbit-sized, brown, jumping marsupials and resemble a large rodent or a very small wallaby. Taxonomy The potoroids are smaller relatives of the kangaroos and wallabies, and may be ancestral to that group. In particular, the teeth show a simpler pattern than in the kangaroo family, with longer upper incisors, larger canines, and four cusps on the molars. However, both groups possess a wide diastema between the incisors and the cheek teeth, and the potoroids have a similar dental formula to their larger relatives: In most respects, however, the potoroids are similar to small wallabies. Their hind feet are elongated, and they move by hopping, although the adaptations are not as extreme as they are in true wallabies, and, like rabbits, they often use their fore limbs to move about at slower speeds. The potoroids are, like nearly all diprotodonts, herbivorou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fungivore
Fungivory or mycophagy is the process of organisms consuming fungi. Many different organisms have been recorded to gain their energy from consuming fungi, including birds, mammals, insects, plants, amoebas, gastropods, nematodes, bacteria and other fungi. Some of these, which only eat fungi, are called fungivores whereas others eat fungi as only part of their diet, being omnivores. Animals Mammals Many mammals eat fungi, but only a few feed exclusively on fungi; most are opportunistic feeders and fungi only make up part of their diet. At least 22 species of primate, including humans, bonobos, colobines, gorillas, lemurs, macaques, mangabeys, marmosets and vervet monkeys are known to feed on fungi. Most of these species spend less than 5% of the time they spend feeding eating fungi, and fungi therefore form only a small part of their diet. Some species spend longer foraging for fungi, and fungi account for a greater part of their diet; buffy-tufted marmosets spend up to 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Macropodid
Macropodidae is a family of marsupials that includes kangaroos, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, wallaroos, pademelons, quokkas, and several other groups. These genera are allied to the suborder Macropodiformes, containing other macropods, and are native to the Australian continent (the mainland and Tasmania), New Guinea and nearby islands. Description Although omnivorous kangaroos lived in the past, modern macropods are herbivorous. Some are browsers, but most are grazers and are equipped with appropriately specialised teeth for cropping and grinding up fibrous plants, in particular grasses and sedges. In general, macropods have a broad, straight row of cutting teeth at the front of the mouth, no canine teeth, and a gap before the molars. The molars are large and, unusually, do not appear all at once but a pair at a time at the back of the mouth as the animal ages, eventually becoming worn down by the tough, abrasive grasses and falling out. Like many Macropodiformes, early kan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aepyprymnus Rufescens
The rufous rat-kangaroo or rufous bettong (''Aepyprymnus rufescens'') is a small, jumping, rat-like mammal native to eastern Australia. It is the only species in the genus ''Aepyprymnus''. The largest member of the rat-kangaroo family (Potoroidae), it is about the size of a rabbit. The rufous rat-kangaroo is active at night when it digs for plant roots and fungi, and like other marsupials it carries its young in a pouch. Though its range is reduced, the population is healthy and stable. Taxonomy The rufous rat-kangaroo is the only member of its genus, and is the largest of all the potoroids. It is generally grey with a hint of reddish brown and its scientific name means "reddish high-rump". It was once thought of as a solitary, nocturnal animal, but recent observation indicates that the rufous rat-kangaroo may form loose, polygynous associations. It feeds mostly on tubers and fungi, but also on leaves and other vegetation. Description A species of the family Potoroidae (rat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Palaeopotoroinae
''Palaeopotorous priscus'' is a fossil species of a diprotodont marsupial, known from specimens obtained in central Australia. The animal was similar to the modern species of the family Potoroidae, the potoroos and bettongs. Taxonomy The only known species of its genus, ''Palaeopotorous'', which has been allied to the subfamily Potoroinae or as the type of a subfamily, Palaeopotoroinae, in the potoroid family. Description The dental evidence of the species indicates it was a similar size to a small to medium 'rat-kangaroos' that were common into the twentieth century. Since its first discovery, the species has been suspected of representing an early lineage of the macropods. The finds have been placed to the late Oligocene period, for which the fossil record of early macropods is otherwise absent. ''Palaeopotorous priscus'' has been proposed to be the earliest known lineage of macropod, sharing the rudiments of features found in the smaller rat-kangaroos and larger kanga ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ganguroo
''Ganguroo'' is a genus of fossil macropods found at Riversleigh in Australia, material dating from the Middle to Late Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ... Epoch. The type species of the genus is ''Ganguroo bilamina'', published in 1997. Two recently described species, ''Ganguroo bites'' and ''Ganguroo robustiter'', have also been placed in this genus. References Further reading * {{Taxonbar, from=Q5521271 Prehistoric macropods Miocene mammals of Australia Riversleigh fauna Fossil taxa described in 1997 Prehistoric marsupial genera ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
