Family BURRAMYIDAE

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Family BURRAMYIDAE

Compiler and date details

oCTOBER 2010 - Updated by Stephen M. Jackson, c/- Queensland Museum, Brisbane, following Van Dyck & Strahan (2008)

31 December 1998 - G.M. McKay (1988); updated by Barry J. Richardson (1999), Centre for Biostructural and Biomolecular Research, University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury, NSW, Australia

Introduction

The Burramyidae includes several small, mouse-sized possums with bunodont molars. The four species of Cercartetus, all of which are arboreal insectivores or nectar-feeders, are the least specialized members of the family. Burramys, which has large plagiaulacoid premolars, is the only possum specialized for feeding on seeds

The pygmy possums are considered to be a distinct family, separate from other phalangeroid lineages, on the basis of serology (Kirsch 1977). Kirsch included Acrobates in this lineage, though later, he supported morphological studies in placing it in a separate family on the basis of DNA hybridisation studies (Edwards & Westerman 1995; Kirsch et al. 1997). The Burramyidae are noteworthy for their generalized morphology and apparently primitive chromosomal constitution (Hayman & Martin 1974; Kirsch & Calaby 1977).

At the generic level, four subgenera of Dromicia (= Cercartetus) have been proposed and more recently, Kirsch (1977) accepted that the genus may indeed prove to be polyphyletic. Wakefield (1963) revised this genus and his arrangement is followed in this work.

General References

Baverstock, P.R. 1984. The molecular relationships of Australasian possums and gliders. pp. 1-8 in Smith, A. & Hume, I. (eds). Possums and Gliders. Sydney : Surrey Beatty & Sons, Australian Mammal Society 598 pp.

Edwards, D. & Westerman, M. 1995. The molecular relationships of possum and glider families as revealed by DNA-DNA hybridisations. Australian Journal of Zoology 43: 231-240 [publication date established from Duncan, F.M. 1937. On the dates of publication of the Society's 'Proceedings', 1859–1926. With an appendix containing the dates of publication of 'Proceedings', 1830–1858, compiled by the late F.H. Waterhouse, and of the 'Transactions', 1853–1869, by the late Henry Peavot, originally published in P.Z.S. 1893, 1913. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 107: 71–84]

Hayman, D.L. & Martin, P.G. 1974. Mammalia 1: Monotremata and Marsupialia. Animal Cytogenetics. Chordata. Berlin : Gebrüder Borntraeger Vol. 4 110 pp.

Kirsch, J.A.W. 1977. The comparative serology of Marsupialia, and a classification of marsupials. Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series 52: 1-152

Kirsch, J.A.W., Lapointe, F-J. & Springer, M.S. 1997. DNA-hybridisation studies of marsupials and their implications for metatherian classification. Australian Journal of Zoology 45: 211-280

Kirsch, J.A.W. & Calaby, J.H. 1977. The species of living marsupials: an annotated list. pp. 9-26 in Stonehouse, B. & Gilmore, D. (eds). The Biology of Marsupials. Baltimore : University Park Press.

Turner, V. & McKay, G.M. 1989. Burramyidae. pp. 652-664 in Walton, D.W. & Richardson, B.J. (eds). Fauna of Australia. Mammalia. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 1B 827 pp.

Wakefield, N.A. 1963. The Australian pigmy-possums. Victorian Naturalist 80: 99-116 [8 Aug. 1963]