Diprotodon, Owen, 1838

Price, Gilbert J., 2008, Taxonomy and palaeobiology of the largest-ever marsupial, Diprotodon Owen, 1838 (Diprotodontidae, Marsupialia), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 153 (2), pp. 369-397 : 381-382

MYALL CREEK DIPROTODON

DENTAL MORPHOMETRIC AND MORPHOLOGICAL

COMPARISON

There were no well-preserved dentaries or maxillae in the Myall Creek Diprotodon assemblage to allow comprehensive description or comparison with other localities. The single dentary available for study ( AMF 49681) belonged to a large-form individual that is morphologically similar to large-form individuals from other assemblages examined .

Over 160 teeth were examined from the assemblage. Tooth morphology is similar to that of all other Diprotodon assemblages examined in this study, and thus does not warrant additional description. Like the Darling Downs assemblage, P 3 morphology is particularly variable in cusp, cingula and shape expression ( Fig. 12 ). The means of cheek teeth dimensions are similar to those of corresponding teeth of other Diprotodon assemblages, and all means overlap at one standard deviation ( Tables 2, 3).

Figures

Figure 12. Photographs and line drawings of morphological variation in P3 of Diprotodon (all specimens from Myall Creek). A, AMF49697, RP3 (mirrored). B, AMF49698, LP3. C, AMF51864, LP3. D, AMF49700, RP3 (mirrored). E, AMF497100, LP3. F, AMF49703, LP3. G, AMF51863, RP3 (mirrored). H, AMF49695, LP3. I, AMF86825, RP3 (mirrored). J, AMF86826, RP3 (mirrored). Numerals on line drawings denote character variations: 1, parastyle absent or reduced, concurrent with anterior cingulum; 2, parastyle large or bulbous; 3, anterior groove poorly developed; 4, anterior groove moderately developed; 5, cleft between paracone and protocone deep; 6, cleft between paracone and protocone shallow; 7, preprotocrista originates at anterobuccal portion of protocone; 8, preprotocrista originates at mid-buccal to posterobuccal portion of protocone; 9, buccal cingulum moderately to well developed; 10, buccal cingulum poorly developed to absent.