No description available.

No description available.

An assessment is given of some of the possible relationships of the living rodent genus Pedetes, based on a study of the comparative osteology of both living and fossil forms in the Family Pedetidae. A short examination of the views of previous authors on the position of Pedetes and the Family Pedetidae is given and the basic methodology, used in this study, is outlined. The view is put forward that, in a group containing a high proportion of fossil members, only osteological characters can be used in assessing relationships as only these characters can potentially be investigated directly in all members of the group. A description is given of the skeleton of Pedetes surdaster and contrasting points in the skeleton of Pedetes capensis, the other living species, are listed. Descriptions are also given of fossil material including Megapedetes pentadactylus, Parapedetes namaquensis, a new species of the genus Pedetes from Laetoli and fragmentary material from a number of sites including Rusinga, Fort Ternan, Maboko, Olduvai Gorge, Taung, Arrisdrift and Elisabethfeld. These descriptions are accompanied by figures, illustrating some of the material, and extensive tables, containing measurements. An analysis, based on cladistic methodology, divides the Family Pedetidae into two subfamilies: one, Subfamily Parapedetinae, contains only the species Parapedetes namaquensis the other, Subfamily Pedetinae, contains all the other named species, four species of Pedetes - surdaster, capensis, gracilis (from Taung) and the new species from Laetoli - and Megapedetes pentadactylus. Material of Megapedetes augaeus has not been examined but on the basis of the published description its validity must remain doubtful. Much of the fragmentary material has not been ascribed to any of the named forms but appears to represent at least two further species. Consideration is also given to possible functional interpretations of some characters.

No description available.

No description available.

Determining the higher level relationships of the modern amphibian order Gymnophiona (caecilians) poses a number of methodological problems. A cladistic methodology is outlined by which the phylogenetic relationships of this group can be determined objectively. Among the possible sister groups analyzed, which include dissorophid temnospondyls, aistopods, nectrideans, lysorophoids, microsaurs, anurans and urodeles, the microsaurs of the families Gymnarthridae and Goniorhynchidae are the most plausible sister group of caecilians, based on cranial osteology. Hence, the three modern orders of amphibians, caecilians, anurans and urodeles, do not constitute a monophyletic assemblage exclusive of all other groups. Ingroup analysis indicates that the Ichthyophiidae is the most primitive living caecilian family. The cladistic analysis suggests that features of the unique jaw apparatus define two groups of caecilians which diverged, phylogenetically, early in the group's history. Morphometric analysis reveals that elements of the jaw apparatus compose a functional suite of features. Aspects of the development, function, and significance of the jaw to miniaturization of the caecilian skull are inferred from the morphometric analysis.

The fossil record of marsupial lions (family Thylacoleonidae) from Australian Oligo Miocene deposits is generally poor. Study of new material of this family collected from Oligo-Miocene limestone sediments of the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland adds significant new information about previously described species and also indicates a greater diversity of thylacoleonids during this period of geological time. Two new genera and five new species are described. Reassessment of the holotype of the type species of Priscileo, P. pitikantensis,indicates it shows stronger affinities to species of the genus Wakaleo than it does to Priscileo roskellyae. Priscileo is regarded here to be a junior synonym of Wakaleo. The cranium and lower dentition of Priscileo roskellyae show significant morphological differences from species of Wakaleo, and this species is referred to a new genus, Lekaneleo. Distinctive morphological differences are identified in the M3s of Wakaleo oldfieldi and W. vanderleueri, species previously distinguished only by relative size differences in their dentitions. Functional morphological assessment of postcranial remains of species of Wakaleo suggests that they were probably scansorial or arboreal, but does not support a previous hypothesis of a fossorial habit. Cladistic analyses of the interrelationships of marsupial lions support the referral of Priscileo pitikantensis to the genus Wakaleo. The monotypic genus Microleo is the sister-group to all remaining thylacoleonid taxa. Species of Lekaneleo are the sistergroup to a Wakaleo/Thylacoleo clade. Intraordinal relationships of thylacoleonids were also investigated. Phylogenetic analyses of the interrelationships of Diprotodontia that included representatives of all extinct vombatiform families as well as extant taxa were conducted employing cranial and dental morphological characters. These analyses provide support for the hypothesis that Thylacoleonidae are members of the suborder Vombatiformes. Two species of Wakaleo (W. oldfieldi and W. vanderleueri) present in Riversleigh deposits are also found at other localities - respectively, the Leaf Locality of central Australia (Kutjamarpu LF) and the Small Hills Locality of northern Australia (Bullock Creek LF) - and suggest age estimations of the relevant Riversleigh sites of early Miocene and late Miocene. The phyletic evolution of Wakaleo suggests that some Riversleigh deposits are probably late Oligocene in age.

Typescript (photocopy) / viii, 417 leaves [78] leaves of plates : ill., map ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Dept. of Zoology, University of Adelaide, 1982

Typescript (photocopy) / viii, 417 leaves [78] leaves of plates : ill., map ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Dept. of Zoology, University of Adelaide, 1982

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Marburg. / Lebenslauf : p.[i]. Includes bibliographical references.