Riversleigh Rainforest Koala
Encyclopedia
The Riversleigh Rainforest Koala (Nimiokoala greystanesi) is an extinct species
of marsupial
, closely related to the modern Koala
, that lived 10-16 million years ago in the middle Miocene
of Queensland
. It probably had a diet of leaves similar to that of the modern species, but whether it specialized on eucalypt
leaves is unknown. It was a third of a modern Koala's size, being 25 - 30 cm long, and the mouth protruded from the skull. To date a partial skull has been found along with several lower jaws and isolated teeth, containing in aggregate the entire dentition.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of 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...
, closely related to the modern Koala
Koala
The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae....
, that lived 10-16 million years ago in the middle Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. It probably had a diet of leaves similar to that of the modern species, but whether it specialized on eucalypt
Eucalypt
Eucalypts are woody plants belonging to three closely related genera:Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora.In 1995 new evidence, largely genetic, indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to the other eucalypts; they were split off into the...
leaves is unknown. It was a third of a modern Koala's size, being 25 - 30 cm long, and the mouth protruded from the skull. To date a partial skull has been found along with several lower jaws and isolated teeth, containing in aggregate the entire dentition.