Australia: The Land Where Time Began

A biography of the Australian continent 

Riversleigh Wynyardiids

Wynyardia bassiana is the first known mammal from the Tertiary of Australia, was found on a beach at Wynyard in Tasmania. It was from the beginning of the Early Miocene. A Wynyardiid-like marsupial was found in Late Oligocene deposits of the Namba Formation in South Australia. The third of this type of marsupial to be found was Namilamadeta snideri. This was a partial skull from the Namba Formation. 2 skeletons of Muramura williamsi, another wynyardiid, were found at Lake Palankarinna in South Australia. All are from the Late Oligocene to Early Miocene.

The wynyardiids from Riversleigh are all believed to be the genus Namilamadeta. Prior to their discovery at Riversleigh they were known only from the Tarkarooloo Local Fauna of South Australia.  The wynyardiids from Riversleigh belong to at least 3 species, and possibly 5, and to cover all stages of development from pouch young to old adults.

Sources & Further reading

1. Michael Archer, Suzanne J. Hand & Henk Godthelp, Australia's Lost World: Riversleigh, world heritage Site, Reed New Holland