Family DASYURIDAE

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Introduction

Representatives of the family Dasyuridae are small to medium-sized animals (4–8 kg) that occur throughout mainland Australia, Tasmania, offshore islands and New Guinea.

Dasyurid limbs are approximately equal length with five digits on the manus and either four or five digits on the pes. The tail is hairy and non-prehensile; a brush is present in some species. The marsupium is variable in appearance, often only defined as an area bounded by a posteriorly directed raised rim during the breeding season or is even absent as a defined structure. All are polyprotodont with tuberculosectorial molars. The incisor formula is 4/3.

Dasyuridae are terrestrial or arboreal (a few species burrow). They are crepuscular and nocturnal, carnivorous and secretive. No species is extinct, but some have suffered reductions in range. Evolutionary relationships within the family are considered in Krajewski et al. (1994, 1997).

General References

Krajewski, C., Painter, J., Buckley, l. & Westerman, M. 1994. Phylogenetic structure of the marsupial family Dasyuridae based on cytochrome b DNA sequences. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 2: 25-35

Krajewski, C., Young, J., Buckley, L., Woolley, P.A. & Westerman, M. 1997. Reconstructing the evolutionary radiation of dasyurine marsupials with cytochrome b, 12SrRNA and protamine P1 gene trees. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 4: 217-236

Morton, S.R., Dickman, C.R. & Fletcher, T.P. 1989. Dasyuridae. pp. 560-582 in Walton, D.W. & Richardson, B.J. (eds). Fauna of Australia. Mammalia. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service Vol. 1B 827 pp.

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