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Dasyuromorphia

Dasyuromorphia () is an order comprising most of the Australian carnivorous marsupials. The order contains four families: Myrmecobiidae, with just a single living species, the numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus), Thylacinidae, with one recently extinct species, the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) and several fossil species, Dasyuridae, with 73 extant species, including quolls, dunnarts, and the Tasmanian devil, and the extinct fossil family Malleodectidae with one genus.

Description

The body size of dasyuromorphs varies considerably, from only in long-tailed planigale, which is the smallest living marsupial, up to in the recently extinct thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus). They show considerable morphological diversity, including the kultarr (Antechinomys laniger), which is adapted for hopping locomotion. Members of the group are mostly carnivorous, either feeding on vertebrate prey or arthropods like insects. The lower molar teeth of dasyuromorphs typically show a carnassial-like morphology.

Phylogeny

Overall phylogeny of Dasyuromorphia (greatly truncated) after Kealy et al. 2017:

See also

References

External links