Sminthopsis monticola Troughton, 1965a

Parnaby, Harry E., Ingleby, Sandy & Divljan, Anja, 2017, Type Specimens of Non-fossil Mammals in the Australian Museum, Sydney, Records of the Australian Museum 69 (5), pp. 277-420 : 312

Sminthopsis monticola Troughton, 1965a

Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 89(3): 311, figs 1a–b. (7 May 1965).

Common name. Stripe-faced Dunnart.

Current name. Sminthopsis macroura macroura ( Gould, 1845) , following Jackson & Groves (2015). Although not recognized as a subspecies by recent authors, we regard the status of monticola to be in need of further research given that S. macroura is an unresolved species complex.

Holotype. B.9579 by original designation. Female, skull, body in alc. ( Figs 11–12 ), “ Lawson Blue Mountains ” presented by Mr E. H. Palmer, registered December 1885.

Condition. Cranium has hole in left auditory bulla, hole in right temporal bone; both dentaries complete. Alc. body: left ear torn.

Type locality. Lawson, Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia.

Comments. Named from the holotype, still the only known specimen. Archer (1981) regarded monticola to more closely resemble inland macroura froggatti than the coastal nominate form. He doubted the authenticity of the locality data, based on a belief the habitat at Lawson was wet scleropyll forest and therefore out of character with habitat of other forms of S. macroura . Although this record is distant from other records of S. macroura , sensu lato and no further specimens had been reported from the area, dry forest types do occur in the Lawson area and the record should not be dismissed lightly. Magistrate E. H. Palmer had a residence at Lawson, and he donated specimens to the AM over many years. Specimen labelling error cannot be refuted but there is no indication from the register entry that would arouse suspicion about the reliability of the locality data. The taxonomic status of this taxon warrants re-evaluation given that Blacket et al. (2001) demonstrated multiple, highly distinct lineages within what is currently assigned to S. macroura .

Figures

Figure 11.Alcoholic body ofAM B.9579, holotype ofSminthopsis monticola Troughton, 1965a. (Photography by Sally Cowan).

Figure 12. Skull ofAM B.9579, holotype ofSminthopsis monticola Troughton, 1965a. (Photography by Sally Cowan).