Mammal craniodental remains in owl pellets provide new tooth row measurements for the threatened Julia Creek dunnart (Sminthopsis douglasi)
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Archer’s 1981 morphological revision of Sminthopsis included only a few individuals of the newly described Sminthopsis douglasi. Here, we used craniodental material sourced from owl pellets collected in north-west Queensland, and additional skeletal material from Queensland Museum specimens, to compile a detailed series of tooth row measurements for S. douglasi (85 specimens, 14 locations). These were compared with existing measurements for co-occurring and geographically proximate congeners, namely, S. macroura, S. crassicaudata, S. murina and S. virginiae. Overall, Julia Creek dunnarts had consistently longer tooth-row measurements than those of the other dunnart species examined. This research will be useful for those seeking to confidently identify S. douglasi by using limited craniodental remains.
Source: Australian Mammalogy
DOI: 10.1071/am25004
Authors: A. M. Baker, C. L. Charley, D. Lockhart, E. L. Gray
Institutions: Queensland University of Technology, Queensland Museum
Language: English
Subfield: Paleontology
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4408310184