List of adaptive radiated marsupials by form

This is a list of adaptive radiated marsupials by form; they are adaptively radiated marsupial species equivalent to the many niche-types of non-marsupial mammals. Many of the surviving species are from Australia. There are unique types, for example the extinct genus Nototherium, a 'rhinoceros-type'.[1]

The new world has the common opossum, also a unique form.[2]

Even before the mid-19th century and Charles Darwin's time, biogeographers understood speciation and animal niches. A supreme example that became known to Darwin as sailing ships traveled the world is the New Zealand flightless, ground-dwelling, worm-eating kiwi, a bird, but a species in a mammal-niche.

Anteater-like

1 genus–(monotypic)
(2 subspecies)

Anteater-like marsupials
Taxa Presence Notes Images

Marsupial:
(anteater-like)

  • Family-Myrmecobiidae
    Genus-Myrmecobius
  1. 1 Genus-Numbat
    (2 subspecies)
 Western Australia
(2 subspecies)
Numbat–(Banded Anteater)

Cat-like

1 genus–(6 species)

Cat-like marsupials
Taxa Presence Notes Images

Marsupial:
(cat-like)

  1. D. albopunctatus
  2. D. geoffroii
  3. D. hallucatus
  4. D. maculatus
  5. D. spartacus
  6. D. viverrinus
 Australia &
Papua and New Guineas
Tiger Quoll-(Dasyurus maculatus))

Groundhog-like

6 genera
2 surviving genera

Groundhog-like marsupials
Taxa Presence Notes Images

Marsupial:
(groundhog-like)

  • Family-Vombatidae
    Genera
  1. 6 genera
Common Wombat, Maria Island, Tasmania

Mole-like

1 genus–(2 species)

Mole-like marsupials
Taxa Presence Notes Images

Marsupial:
(mole-like)

  • Genus-Notoryctes
  1. N. caurinus
  2. N. typhlops
Marsupial mole

Rhinoceros-like

1 genus

Rhinoceros-like marsupials
Taxa Presence Notes Images

Marsupial:
(rhinoceros-like)

 Extinct
Nototherium

Panther like

6 genera

Panther-like marsupials
Taxa Presence Notes Images

Marsupial:
(panther-like)

†Priscileo pitikantensis (Upper Oligocene) †Priscileo roskellyae (Middle Miocene) Subfamily Wakaleoninae Genus †Wakaleo †Wakaleo alcootaensis (Upper Miocene) †Wakaleo oldfieldi (Lower—Upper Miocene) †Wakaleo vanderleueri (Middle—Upper Miocene) Subfamily Thylacoleoninae Genus †Thylacoleo †Thylacoleo carnifex (Pleistocene) †Thylacoleo crassidentatus (Pliocene) †Thylacoleo hilli (Pliocene)
Thylacoleo BW

|Thylacoleos–(Thylacoleo)]]

Squirrel-like

1 genus–(6 species)

Squirrel-like marsupials
Taxa Presence Notes Images

Marsupial:
(squirrel-like)

  1. P. abidi
  2. P. australis
  3. P. biacensis
  4. P. breviceps
  5. P. gracilis
  6. P. norfolcensis
Sugar Gliders–(Flying Phalanger)

Wolf-like

1 genus–(1 species)

Wolf-like marsupials
Taxa Presence Notes Images

Marsupial:
(wolf-like)

  1. T. cynocephlus
 Extinct
Tasmanian Wolf in Washington D.C., 1902

Wolverine-like

1 genus–(1 species)

Wolverine-like marsupials
Taxa Presence Notes Images

Marsupial:
(wolverine-like)

  1. S. harrisii
 extirpated
from mainland
(Tasmania only)
Sarcophilus harrisii-Tasmanian Devil

Unique:Kangaroo-like

Unique:Opossum-like

? species

Unique—Opossum-like marsupials
Taxa Presence Notes Images

Marsupial:
(opossum-like)

  • Infraclass-Marsupialia
    Family-Didelphidae
    Genera
  1. Many genera
Virginia Opossum Didelphis virginiana

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Marsupialia.
  1. ↑ Wilson, Eisner, Briggs, Dickerson, Metzenberg, O'Brien, Susman, & Boggs. Life on Earth, Chapter: Biogeography, Graphic: Adaptive Radiation of Marsupials, p. 854-855.
  2. ↑ Wilson, Eisner, Briggs, Dickerson, Metzenberg, O'Brien, Susman, & Boggs. Life on Earth, Chapter: Biogeography, Graphic: Adaptive Radiation of Marsupials, p. 854-855.