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Peramelemorphia Fossil range: Late Oligocene - Recent
a short-nosed bandicoot (Isoodon spp.)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Marsupialia Order: Peramelemorphia Ameghino, 1889
Families
Thylacomyidae †Chaeropodidae Peramelidae Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... The Oligocene epoch is a geologic period of time that extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present. ... Image File history File links Taxidermied Bandicoot (species unknown, but probably Long-Nosed Bandicoot Perameles nasuta). ... Species Ischnodon australis Isoodon auratus Isoodon macrourus Isoodon obesulus The short-nosed bandicoots (genus Isoodon) are members of the Peramelemorphia order. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including milk producing sweat glands, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... This article is about mammals. ... Florentino Ameghino (September 18, 1854 – August 6, 1911) was an Argentinian naturalist, paleontologist, anthropologist and zoologist. ... Year 1889 (MDCCCLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Species (extinct) Bilbies are marsupial omnivores; members of the bandicoot family. ... Binomial name Chaeropus ecaudatus Ogilby, 1838 The Pig-footed Bandicoot (Chaeropus ecaudatus) was a small, mostly herbivorous bandicoot of the arid and semi-arid plains of inland Australia. ... Genera  Perameles  Isoodon  Chaeropus A bandicoot is any of about 8 species of small to medium-sized, terrestrial marsupial omnivores in the subfamily Peramelinae (the true bandicoots) of the family Peramelidae; or in a broader sense, any of about 21 species of fairly similar animals in the order Peramelemorphia. ...

The order Peramelemorphia includes the bandicoots and bilbies: it equates approximately to the mainstream of marsupial omnivores. All members of the order are endemic to the twin land masses of Australia-New Guinea and most have the characteristic bandicoot shape: a plump, arch-backed body with a long, delicately tapering snout, very large upright ears, relatively long, thin legs, and a thin tail. Their size varies from about 140 grams up to 2 kilograms, but most species are about the weight of a half-grown kitten: somewhere around one kilogram. In scientific classification used in biology, the order (Latin: ordo, plural ordines) is a rank between class and family (termed a taxon at that rank). ... Families and Genera Chaeropodidae Chaeropus Peramelidae Isoodon Perameles Peroryctes Echymipera Microperoryctes Rhynchomeles A bandicoot is any of about 20 species of small to medium-sized, terrestrial marsupial omnivores in the order Peramelemorphia. ... For the band, see Bilby (band). ...

Evolutionary relationships

The position of the Peramelemorphia within the marsupial family tree has long been puzzling and controversial. There are two morphological features in the order that appear to show a clear evolutionary link with another marsupial group: the type of foot, and the teeth. Unfortunately, these clear signposts point in opposite directions!

All members of the order are polyprotodont (have several pairs of lower front teeth)—in the case of the Peramelemorphia, three pairs. This suggests that they have evolved from the Dasyuromorphia (marsupial carnivores). On the other hand, they also have an unusual feature in their feet: the second and third toes are fused together. This condition is called syndactyly, and is characteristic of the Diprotodontia (the order of marsupial herbivores that includes kangaroos, wombats, possums, and many others). Families †Thylacinidae Dasyuridae Myrmecobiidae The order Dasyuromorphia (meaning hairy tail[1]) is made up of most carnivorous marsupials, including quolls, dunnarts, the Numbat, the Tasmanian Devil, and the recently extinct Thylacine. ... Suborders Vombatiformes Phalangeriformes Macropodiformes Diprotodontia is a large taxon of about 120 marsupial mammals including the kangaroos, wallabies, possums, Koala, wombats, and many others. ... Species Macropus rufus Macropus giganteus Macropus fuliginosus Macropus antilopinus A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning large foot). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the Red Kangaroo, the Antilopine Kangaroo, and the Eastern and Western Grey Kangaroo... For other uses, see Wombat (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Possum (disambiguation). ...

Attempts to resolve this puzzle include the view that the bandicoot group evolved from the carnivores, retaining the polyprotodont dentition, and independently evolving a syndactyl hind foot; the contrary view that syndactyly is so unusual that it is unlikely to have evolved twice and therefore the bandicoot group must have evolved from a possum-like diprotodont creature, and re-evolved its extra teeth. A third view suggests that the bandicoot group evolved from a primitive carnivore, developed the syndactylous hind foot as a specialisation for climbing, and the diprotodonts then split off and evolved the two-tooth jaw that gives them their name. Recent molecular level investigations do not so far appear to have resolved the puzzle, but do strongly suggest that whatever the relationship of the bandicoot group to the other marsupial orders may be, it is a distant one.

Classification

To provide context, the table below also shows the other major branches of the Australasian marsupial tree.

• Order Microbiotheria: (1 species, the Monito del Monte of South America)
• Order Dasyuromorphia: (marsupial carnivores, 71 species in 3 families)
• ORDER PERAMELEMORPHIA: bandicoots and bilbies (20 extant species, 3 extinct)
  • Family Thylacomyidae: (bilbies, 1 extant species, 1 extinct)
  • Family †Chaeropodidae: (Pig-footed Bandicoot, 1 extinct species)
  • Family Peramelidae: (bandicoots, 19 extant species, 1 extinct)
    • Subfamily Peramelinae
    • Subfamily Peroryctinae
    • Subfamily Echymiperinae
  • Superfamily †Yaraloidea
    • Family †Yaralidae: (2 described fossil species)
• Order Notoryctemorphia (2 species of marsupial mole)
• Order Diprotodontia (about 117 species in 11 families, including the Koala, wombats, possums, rat kangaroos, kangaroos, wallabies and others.)

Binomial name Dromiciops australis Thomas, 1894 The Monito del Monte (little mountain monkey, Dromiciops australis) is a semi-arboreal South American marsupial which is thought to be more closely related to the marsupials of Australasia than to those of the Americas. ... Binomial name Dromiciops gliroides Thomas, 1894 Synonyms Dromiciops australis The Monito del Monte (little mountain monkey, Dromiciops gliroides) is a semi-arboreal South American marsupial which is thought to be more closely related to the marsupials of Australasia than to those of the Americas. ... Families †Thylacinidae Dasyuridae Myrmecobiidae The order Dasyuromorphia (meaning hairy tail[1]) is made up of most carnivorous marsupials, including quolls, dunnarts, the Numbat, the Tasmanian Devil, and the recently extinct Thylacine. ... Families and Genera Chaeropodidae Chaeropus Peramelidae Isoodon Perameles Peroryctes Echymipera Microperoryctes Rhynchomeles A bandicoot is any of about 20 species of small to medium-sized, terrestrial marsupial omnivores in the order Peramelemorphia. ... For the band, see Bilby (band). ... Species (extinct) Bilbies are marsupial omnivores; members of the bandicoot family. ... Binomial name Chaeropus ecaudatus Ogilby, 1838 The Pig-footed Bandicoot (Chaeropus ecaudatus) was a small, mostly herbivorous bandicoot of the arid and semi-arid plains of inland Australia. ... Genera  Perameles  Isoodon  Chaeropus A bandicoot is any of about 8 species of small to medium-sized, terrestrial marsupial omnivores in the subfamily Peramelinae (the true bandicoots) of the family Peramelidae; or in a broader sense, any of about 21 species of fairly similar animals in the order Peramelemorphia. ... Species Peroryctes broadbenti Peroryctes raffrayana The New Guinean long-nosed bandicoots (genus Peroryctes) are members of the Peramelemorphia order. ... Species Yarala burchfieldi Yarala kida Yarala is a genus of fossil mammals that resemble contemporary bandicoots. ... Species Yarala burchfieldi Yarala kida Yarala is a genus of fossil mammals that resemble contemporary bandicoots. ... Binomial names Notoryctes typhlops Notoryctes caurinus The marsupial moles are rare and poorly understood burrowing mammals of the deserts of western Australia. ... Species The marsupial moles are rare and poorly understood burrowing mammals of the deserts of western Australia. ... Suborders Vombatiformes Phalangeriformes Macropodiformes Diprotodontia is a large taxon of about 120 marsupial mammals including the kangaroos, wallabies, possums, Koala, wombats, and many others. ... For the drawing program, see KoalaPad/Painter. ... For other uses, see Wombat (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Possum (disambiguation). ... Species Macropus rufus Macropus giganteus Macropus fuliginosus Macropus antilopinus A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning large foot). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the Red Kangaroo, the Antilopine Kangaroo, and the Eastern and Western Grey Kangaroo... For other uses, see Wallaby (disambiguation). ...

References

• Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 38-42. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.