New species of marsupial discovered
Taxonomic research from The University of Western Australia has discovered two new species of kultarr, a small carnivorous marsupial found in the arid interior of Australia.
PhD student Cameron Dodd, from UWA’s School of Biological Sciences, led the study in collaboration with UWA’s Dr Renee Catullo, Dr Kenny Travouillon, from the Western Australian Museum, Dr Andrew Baker and Dr Linette Umbrello, from Queensland University of Technology, and Dr Mike Westerman, from La Trobe University, which was published in Ecology and Evolution.
“At a glance, kultarr look very similar to hopping mice or jerboas, with very long legs for hopping and a long tail with a brush on the end,” Mr Dodd said.
“However, they are ferocious predators, if you are an invertebrate, and bound with all four legs rather the two-legged hop seen in hopping mice or kangaroos.”
Researchers measured museum specimens by hand and studied the genetic makeup, which revealed there was not one but three species.
The eastern kultarr, Antechinomys laniger, was thought to be the sole member of the genus. The study discovered two new species: the gibber kultarr (Antechinomys spenceri) from central Australia; and the long-eared kultarr (Antechinomys auritus) found across much of outback WA.
Dr Travouillon said the findings highlight the importance of museum collections that provide a crucial resource for describing new species as well as understanding how species’ distributions have changed over time.
