Project 4316: Julien Louys, Mathieu Duval, Robin M.D. Beck, Eleanor Pease, Ian Sobbe, Noel Sands, Gilbert J. Price. 2022. Cranial remains of Ramsayia magna from the Late Pleistocene sub-tropics of Australia and the evolution of gigantism in wombats. Papers in Palaeontology. 8 (6):e1475.
Abstract
Giant wombats (defined here as ≥70 kg) are found in the genera Phascolonus, Ramsayia and perhaps Sedophascolomys. Ramsayia is currently the most poorly known, having been described from mandibular and cranial fragments. Here, we report the most complete cranial remains attributable to the genus, identified as R. magna. The specimen provides new insights into the anatomy of the species and evolutionary adaptations to gigantism in Vombatidae. We record parietal sinuses in a vombatid for the first time, an adaptation to increased skull size relative to the braincase. The presence of a prominent premaxillary spine may indicate that the species possessed a large, fleshy nose. Both features are convergent on other large-bodied, non-vombatid extinct megaherbivores ofAustralia such as Diprotodon optatum. We use the cranial remains to examine the phylogenetic relationships of giant wombats to other vombatids. Phylogenetic analysis using maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference indicates that Phascolomys, Ramsayia and Sedophascolomys form a clade, suggesting a single origin of gigantism within Vombatidae. This origin may be related to the exploitation of poor-quality foods, and preceded extreme specializations observed in the cranial anatomy of the giant wombats. U-series and combined U-series and electron spin resonance (ESR) dating methods were applied to one fossil tooth. Age calculations systematically correlate the fossil remains to Marine Isotope Stage 5, and an age of c. 80 000 years can be proposed for this specimen. With only a single well-dated occurrence for this taxon, it is currently impossible to determine when and why R. magna became extinct.
Read the article »
Article DOI: 10.1002/spp2.1475
Project DOI: 10.7934/P4316, http://dx.doi.org/10.7934/P4316
This project contains | Matrices |
---|---|
Download Project SDD File | Total scored cells: 2725 Total media associated with cells: 0 Total labels associated with cell media: 0 |
Characters | |
Total characters: 100 Total characters with associated media: 0 Total characters with media with labels: 0 Total character states: 224 Total character states with associated media: 0 Total character states with media with labels:0 Total unordered/ordered characters:86/14 |
Currently Viewing:
MorphoBank Project 4316
MorphoBank Project 4316
- Creation Date:
12 July 2022 - Publication Date:
12 December 2022 - Project views: 4720
- Matrix downloads: 5
Authors' Institutions
- University of Queensland
- Queensland Museum
- University of Salford
- Griffith University
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH)
- Central Queensland Speleological Society
Members
member name | taxa | specimens | media | chars | character
| cell scorings (scored, NPA, "-") | cell
| rules | ||||||
Robin Beck Project Administrator | 42 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 2725 (2541, 0, 184) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Taxonomic Overview for Matrix 'M28883' (42 Taxa)
taxon | unscored cells |
scored cells |
no cell support |
NPA cells |
"-" cells | cell images | labels on cell images |
member access |
[1] Didelphis marsupialis Last Modified in 07/26/22 | 15 | 76 | 76 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[2] Perameles bougainville Last Modified in 07/26/22 | 0 | 93 | 93 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[3] † Galadi speciosus Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 20 | 72 | 72 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[4] Cercartetus lepidus Last Modified in 07/26/22 | 13 | 80 | 80 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[5] † Ngapakaldia spp. Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 4 | 89 | 89 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[6] † Kolopsis torus Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 22 | 72 | 71 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[7] † Neohelos stirtoni Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 22 | 71 | 71 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[8] † Nimbadon lavarackorum Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 6 | 90 | 87 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[9] † Silvabestius spp. Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 24 | 69 | 69 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[10] † Litokoala kutjamarpensis Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 43 | 55 | 55 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[11] † Litokoala dicksmithi Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 52 | 45 | 45 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[12] † Madakoala spp. Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 58 | 41 | 40 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[13] † Nimiokoala greystanesi Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 33 | 64 | 64 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[14] † Perikoala robustus Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 61 | 36 | 35 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[15] Phascolarctos cinereus Last Modified in 07/26/22 | 7 | 91 | 89 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[16] † Priscileo pitikantensis Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 72 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[17] † Priscileo roskellyae Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 23 | 73 | 73 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[18] † Wakaleo oldfieldi Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 60 | 37 | 37 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[19] † Wakaleo vanderleuri Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 30 | 67 | 66 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[20] † Sedophascolomys medius Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 76 | 24 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[21] † Phascolonus gigas Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 45 | 52 | 52 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[22] † Ramsayia magna Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 64 | 37 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[23] Lasiorhinus krefftii Last Modified in 07/26/22 | 47 | 53 | 51 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[24] Lasiorhinus latifrons Last Modified in 07/26/22 | 6 | 92 | 91 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[25] † Mukupirna nambensis Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 57 | 42 | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[26] Vombatus ursinus Last Modified in 07/26/22 | 2 | 95 | 93 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[27] † Vombatus hacketti Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 53 | 46 | 45 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[28] † Warendja wakefieldi Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 60 | 38 | 38 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[29] † Muramura spp. Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 23 | 76 | 76 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[30] † Priscakoala lucyturnbullae Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 79 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[31] † Zygomaturus trilobus Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 23 | 70 | 70 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[32] † Diprotodon notatum Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 16 | 77 | 77 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[33] † Euryzygoma dunense Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 43 | 51 | 50 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[34] † Propalorchestes novaculacephalus Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 26 | 69 | 67 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[35] † Palorchestes painei Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 38 | 56 | 55 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[36] † Palorchestes azael Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 24 | 70 | 69 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[37] † Namilamadeta spp. Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 21 | 80 | 78 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[38] † Ilaria spp. Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 33 | 65 | 63 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[39] † Kuterintja ngama Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 59 | 37 | 37 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[40] † Thylacoleo carnifex Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 14 | 84 | 80 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[41] † Nimbavombatus boodjamullensis Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 67 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
[42] † Djarthia murgonensis Last Modified in 11/21/22 | 63 | 33 | 33 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Project views
type | number of views | Individual items viewed (where applicable) |
Total project views | 4720 | |
Project overview | 592 | |
Media views | 870 | Media search (742 views); M848366 (128 views); |
Matrix views | 197 | Matrix landing page (180 views); Ramsayia matrix (17 views); |
Documents list | 195 | |
Taxon list | 2013 | |
Views for media list | 261 | |
Bibliography | 166 | |
Specimen list | 426 |
Project downloads
type | number of downloads | Individual items downloaded (where applicable) |
Total downloads from project | 5 | |
Matrix downloads | 5 | Ramsayia matrix (5 downloads); |