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Joculusium
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Marsupialia
Order:	Dasyuromorphia
Genus:	†Joculusium
Species:	†J. muizoni
Binomial name
†Joculusium muizoni Wroe, 2011

Joculusium muizoni is a fossil species discovered at the Riversleigh World Heritage Area. Little is known about the animal.

Taxonomy

The species describes a fossilised specimen of an unknown family, but allied to the order Dasyuromorphia with reasonable confidence by the author Stephen Wroe. The holotype and only sole known specimen is a lower jaw bone. The epithet of the species muizoni honours the palaeontologist Christian de Muizon and its new genus Joculusium was named in reference to the type locality.

Description

Joculusium muizoni is a fossil species of dasyuromorph, an order of marsupials represented in the modern Australian fauna by the quolls (Dasyuridae), Tasmanian devil and recently extinct thylacine (Thylacinidae). When discovered, the specimen exhibited the least derived characteristics of the known species of the order that was found in dasyurid and thylacinid families. The only specimen is a jaw bone of a carnivore that probably ate smaller vertebrate species or insects.

Distribution

The type locality is middle Miocene (Faunal Zone C, circa 14 myr) at the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, which at that time was a wetter environment dominated by rainforest.

References

1. ^ Wroe, S. (2011). "A new genus and species of dasyuromorphian from the Miocene of Riversleigh, Northern Australia" (PDF). Memoirs of the Australian Association of Palaeontologists. 25: 53–59.
2. ^ "Joculusium muizoni ". Riversleigh News and Faunal Encyclopedia. wakaleo.net. Retrieved 28 May 2019.

v t e Agreodontia
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Superorder: Australidelphia
Notoryctidae †Naraboryctes Notoryctes Peramelemorphia †Bulungu †Chaeropus †Galadi †Kutjamarcoot †Madju †Numbigilga? †Silvicultor †Yarala Thylacomyidae †Bulbadon? †Ischnodon †Liyamayi Macrotis Peramelidae †Crash Echymipera Isoodon Microperoryctes Perameles Peroryctes Rhynchomeles Dasyuromorphia †Ankotarinja? †Dasylurinja †Joculusium †Keeuna? †Malleodectes †Mayigriphus Myrmecobius †Wakamatha †Thylacinidae Badjcinus? Maximucinus Muribacinus Mutpuracinus? Ngamalacinus Nimbacinus Thylacinus Tyarrpecinus Wabulacinus Dasyuridae †Barinya †Ganbulanyi? †Glaucodon †Urrayira Sminthopsinae Planigale Sminthopsini Antechinomys Ningaui Sminthopsis Dasyurinae †Whollydooleya? Phascogalini Antechinus Murexia Phascogale Dasyurini Dasycercus Dasykaluta Dasyuroides Dasyurus Myoictis Neophascogale Parantechinus Phascolosorex Pseudantechinus Sarcophilus

• Prehistoric dasyuromorphs
• Fossil taxa described in 2011
• Prehistoric marsupial genera
• Riversleigh fauna