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| Perameles papillon
Travouillon & Phillips, 2018
Art by Rob Fleming
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Abstract
The phylogenetic relationships of bandicoots and bilbies have been somewhat problematic, with conflicting results between morphological work and molecular data. This conflict makes it difficult to assess the taxonomic status of species and subspecies within this order, and also prevents accurate evolutionary assessments. Here, we present a new total evidence analysis, combining the latest cranio-dental morphological matrix containing both modern and fossil taxa, with molecular data from GenBank. Several subspecies were scored in the morphological dataset to match the molecular data available. Both parsimony and Bayesian analyses were performed, giving similar topologies except for the position of four fossil taxa. Total evidence dating places the peramelemorphian crown origin close to the Oligocene/Miocene boundary, and the radiations of most modern genera beginning in the Late Miocene or Early Pliocene. Our results show that some species and subspecies require taxonomic reassessment, and are revised here. We also describe a new, extinct species from the Nullarbor region. This suggests that the number of recently extinct peramelemorphian species is likely to further increase.
Keywords: Mammalia, Bandicoot, Australia, molecular phylogeny, morphological systematics, evolution, taxonomy, new species
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Art by Rob Fleming
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Perameles papillon sp. nov.
Etymology: Papillon, French for butterfly, in reference to the butterfly shaped pattern on its rump.
Kenny J. Travouillon and Matthew J. Phillips. 2018. Total Evidence Analysis of the Phylogenetic Relationships of Bandicoots and Bilbies (Marsupialia: Peramelemorphia): Reassessment of Two Species and Description of A New Species. Zootaxa. 4378(2); 224–256. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4378.2.3
New research tracks evolution of bilbies and badicoots, new species discovered disq.us/t/2zbplt8
