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 : 380-381

LAKE CALLABONNA DIPROTODON

DENTAL MORPHOMETRIC AND MORPHOLOGICAL

COMPARISON

Both size classes of Diprotodon are undoubtedly represented in the Lake Callabonna Diprotodon assemblage ( Fig. 8 ). More than 100 teeth were investigated from the deposits. Both dentary and tooth morphology are similar to that of the Darling Downs, Reddestone Creek and Myall Creek Diprotodon assemblages and thus do not warrant additional description.

The mean dimensions of most cheek teeth are similar to those of other assemblages examined in this study, and most means overlap at one standard deviation ( Tables 2, 3). However, the mean dimensions of some teeth from the Lake Callabonna assemblage are 5–6% larger than corresponding teeth of other assemblages (e.g. M 4; Table 2). In the case of the M 4, the mean is based on a small sample size (N = 6). The dimension of the M 4 is similar to Mean (standard deviation, coefficient of variation). ‘All localities’ combines the Darling Downs, Bacchus Marsh, Lake Callabonna, Myall Creek, Lancefield Swamp and Reddestone Creek data sets, as well as morphometric data for specimens from other localities available for study.

that of the large form from the Darling Downs ( Tables 1–3). Thus, such results may be the product of sampling bias; those teeth could conceivably be solely represented by the large-form Diprotodon , therefore skewing the mean. Dimensions of other teeth from the Lake Callabonna assemblage do not vary more than 1–2% in comparison with other assemblages ( Tables 2, 3). Additionally, there is an observable morphometric overlap in teeth size between large- and small-form Lake Callabonna Diprotodon ( Fig. 11 ).

Figures

Figure 8. Dimensions of Diprotodon dentaries at position below M3 for the Darling Downs (N = 34), Lake Callabonna (N = 19) and Bacchus Marsh (N = 23) assemblages. Closed markers indicate large-form individuals, open markers indicate small-form individuals.

Figure 11. Length versus posterior width for Lake Callabonna Diprotodon lower molar teeth. A, M1. B, M2. C, M3. D, M4.