Biology:Brachalletes

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Short description: Extinct genus of marsupials

Brachalletes
Temporal range: Pleistocene
Brachalletes palmeri femur.jpg
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Hypsiprymnodontidae
Genus: Brachalletes
de Vis, 1883
Species:
B. palmeri
Binomial name
Brachalletes palmeri
de Vis, 1883[1]

Brachalletes was an early marsupial from the Pliocene deposits of Australia . Its relationship with other marsupial species is under debate. The genus is extinct. The species was assigned to the order Diprotodontia by McKenna and Bell in 1997, though it is placed in its own order by other authorities. The species is described as an omnivore.[2]

The first description of the species Brachalletes palmeri was assigned to a new genus by the author Charles De Vis, suggesting that it was probably distinguishable from the genus Procoptodon. The specimens obtained at the Chinchilla site were presented to the Linnean Society of New South Wales and published in its journal in 1883. The genus name was intended to allude what was estimated to be a "contracted gait" of the new macropod, the specific epithet was an honour to Arthur Hunter Palmer, who had assisted in the collection of the specimens.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 De Vis, C.W. (1883). "On Brachalletes Palmeri an extinct marsupial". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 8: 190–193. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.28647. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/28647. 
  2. The Paleobiology Database

Wikidata ☰ Q2923226 entry