Hulitherium
Encyclopedia
Hulitherium is an extinct genus of Zygomaturidae, a marsupial
from New Guinea
during the Pleistocene
. The species name honours Bernard Tomasetti who brought the fossil
s to the attention of experts.
, several detached teeth, a fragment of lower jaw, atlas
and cervical vertebrae
, almost complete humerus
and fragmentary bone
s of the hind limb. the skeleton
suggests that the limbs were highly mobile relative to the other diprotodontids
and that it was a browser.
rain forests and may have fed on bamboo
. perhaps a marsupial
analogue of the Giant Panda
. It was one of New Guinea's largest mammals with the height of 1 m (3 ft) and was close to 2 m (6 ft) long. And the estimated weight of 75-200 kilograms. Flannery and Plane (1986) suggested that because little since the Late Pleistocene, humans may have been the major factor that led to its extinction.
, and that these two together are most closely related to Kolopsis rotundus also from new Guinea. Black and Mackness(1999) suggested that the Hulitherium clade is more closely related to the clade comprising Zygomaturus
plus another undescribed genus from Australia
, than it is to Kolopsis
.
Marsupial
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
from New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
during the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
. The species name honours Bernard Tomasetti who brought the fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s to the attention of experts.
Fossils
Hulitherium was described on the basis of a nearly complete skullSkull
The skull is a bony structure in the head of many animals that supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.The skull is composed of two parts: the cranium and the mandible. A skull without a mandible is only a cranium. Animals that have skulls are called craniates...
, several detached teeth, a fragment of lower jaw, atlas
Atlas (anatomy)
In anatomy, the atlas is the most superior cervical vertebra of the spine.It is named for the Atlas of Greek mythology, because it supports the globe of the head....
and cervical vertebrae
Cervical vertebrae
In vertebrates, cervical vertebrae are those vertebrae immediately inferior to the skull.Thoracic vertebrae in all mammalian species are defined as those vertebrae that also carry a pair of ribs, and lie caudal to the cervical vertebrae. Further caudally follow the lumbar vertebrae, which also...
, almost complete humerus
Humerus
The humerus is a long bone in the arm or forelimb that runs from the shoulder to the elbow....
and fragmentary bone
Bone
Bones are rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...
s of the hind limb. the skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
suggests that the limbs were highly mobile relative to the other diprotodontids
Diprotodontidae
Diprotodontidae is an extinct family of large, actively mobile marsupial, endemic to what would be Australia, during the Oligocene through Pleistocene periods from 28.4 mya—11,000 years ago, existing for approximately .-References:...
and that it was a browser.
Biology
Hulitherium lived in montaneMontane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
rain forests and may have fed on bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
. perhaps a marsupial
Marsupial
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
analogue of the Giant Panda
Giant Panda
The giant panda, or panda is a bear native to central-western and south western China. It is easily recognized by its large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the panda's diet is 99% bamboo...
. It was one of New Guinea's largest mammals with the height of 1 m (3 ft) and was close to 2 m (6 ft) long. And the estimated weight of 75-200 kilograms. Flannery and Plane (1986) suggested that because little since the Late Pleistocene, humans may have been the major factor that led to its extinction.
Other Relatives
Murray (1992) concluded that Hulitherium is most closely related to the New Guinean MaokopiaMaokopia
Maokopia is an extinct genus of Zygomaturidae.-References:* Prehistoric Mammals of Australia and New Guinea: One Hundred Million Years of Evolution by John A. Long, Michael Archer, Timothy Flannery, and Suzanne Hand...
, and that these two together are most closely related to Kolopsis rotundus also from new Guinea. Black and Mackness(1999) suggested that the Hulitherium clade is more closely related to the clade comprising Zygomaturus
Zygomaturus
Zygomaturus is an extinct giant marsupial from Australia during the Pleistocene. It had a heavy body and thick legs and is believed to be similar to the modern Pygmy Hippopotamus in both size and build. The genus moved on all fours. It lived in the wet coastal margins of Australia and became...
plus another undescribed genus from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, than it is to Kolopsis
Kolopsis
Kolopsis is an extinct genus of diprotodontid marsupials from Australia. It contains three species:*†Kolopsis rotundus Plane 1967*†Kolopsis torus Woodburne, 1967*†Kolopsis yperus Murray, Megirian & Wells, 1993K...
.
Sources
- David Norman. (2001): The Big Book Of Dinosaurs. Pg.133, Welcome Books.
- Wildlife of Gondwana: Dinosaurs and Other Vertebrates from the Ancient Supercontinent (Life of the Past) by Pat Vickers Rich, Thomas Hewitt Rich, Francesco Coffa, and Steven Morton
- Australia's Lost World: Prehistoric Animals of Riversleigh by Michael Archer, Suzanne J. Hand, and Henk Godthelp
- Classification of Mammals by Malcolm C. McKenna and Susan K. Bell
- Extinctions in Near Time: Causes, Contexts, and Consequences (Advances in Vertebrate Paleobiology) by Ross D.E. MacPhee and Hans-Dieter Sues
See also
- ZygomaturusZygomaturusZygomaturus is an extinct giant marsupial from Australia during the Pleistocene. It had a heavy body and thick legs and is believed to be similar to the modern Pygmy Hippopotamus in both size and build. The genus moved on all fours. It lived in the wet coastal margins of Australia and became...
- SilvabestiusSilvabestiusSilvabestius is an extinct genus of marsupial dating to the Early Miocene. They were grazing animals about the size of a modern sheep.This animal is known from two skulls found close together which have come to be known as the "Madonna and Child" fossils.Silvabestius is an extinct genus of...
- NeohelosNeohelosNeohelos is an extinct sheep-sized marsupial from the late Oligocene to middle-Miocene aged deposits of Bullock Creek in the Northern Territory, Lake Ngapakaldi South Australia and riversleigh of Queensland. There are four species in this genera, N. tirarensis from Bullock Creek and the...
- KolopsisKolopsisKolopsis is an extinct genus of diprotodontid marsupials from Australia. It contains three species:*†Kolopsis rotundus Plane 1967*†Kolopsis torus Woodburne, 1967*†Kolopsis yperus Murray, Megirian & Wells, 1993K...