Macropus giganteus Shaw, 1790

Jackson, Stephen M., Jansen, Justin J. F. J., Baglione, Gabrielle & Callou, Cécile, 2021, Mammals collected and illustrated by the Baudin Expedition to Australia and Timor (1800 - 1804): A review of the current taxonomy of specimens in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle de Paris and the illustrations in the Muséum d’Histoire naturelle du Havre, Zoosystema 43 (21), pp. 387-548 : 412

Macropus giganteus Shaw, 1790

( Figs 107 ; 109 ; 110 )

Macropus giganteus Shaw, 1790 : text to pl. 33.

COMMON NAME. — Eastern Grey Kangaroo.

CURRENT NAME. — Macropus giganteus Shaw, 1790 .

See Jackson & Groves (2015: 154).

COLLECTOR/S. — Charles-Alexandre Lesueur, contra Girard (1856: 114) who mentioned Péron as its collector.

COLLECTION LOCALITY. — Near Port Jackson (Sydney), New South Wales, Australia ( Girard 1856: 114). One animal was taken alive back to France on board Le Géographe under the name of “Kanguroo géant” (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1804c: 172). Girard (1856: 114) reported that Péron brought back a living individual that perished on arrival and was dissected by G. Cuvier. According to a letter from Baudin, during the second break in Timor, there they had ten giant kangaroos alive on Le Géographe but only one was left upon arrival in France ( Girard 1856: 114).

COLLECTION DATE. — Between 20 June and 18 November 1802.

SPECIMEN NUMBER/S. — No specimen identified in MNHN collection.

ILLUSTRATIONS. — Illustrated by Charles-Alexandre Lesueur – Muséum d’Histoire naturelle du Havre, Inv. no. 80273 ( Fig. 107 ; centre, skull), Inv. no. 80056 ( Fig. 109 ; two living animals) and Inv. no. 80067 ( Fig. 110 ; sketch of an animal) ( Baglione & Crémière 2009: 352; Fornasiero et al. 2016: 78).

Figures

FIG. 107. — Skulls of mammals (left to right) including Kangurus fasciatus Péron, 1807. Banded Hare-wallaby; Kangurus rufogriseus Desmarest, 1817; Macropus giganteus Shaw,1790;Halmaturus thetis Lesson,1827.Red-necked Pademelon;and Hypsiprymnus peron Quoy & Gaimard,1824.Long-nosed Potoroo.Charles- Alexandre Lesueur. Ink and wash – 44 × 29 cm. Inv. no. 80273. Credits: MHNH.

FIG. 109. — Macropus giganteus Shaw, 1790. Australia. Charles-Alexandre Lesueur. Watercolour, pencil and ink – 26 × 40 cm. Inv. no. 80056. Credits: MHNH.

FIG. 110. — Macropus giganteus Shaw, 1790. Australia. Charles-Alexandre Lesueur. Ink on brown tracing paper – 27 × 17 cm. Inv. no. 80067. Credits: MHNH.