Australian Museum Research Articles

Upper Oligocene–lower-Middle Miocene peramelemorphians from the Etadunna, Namba and Wipajiri formations of South Australia

The oldest fossils referable to the marsupial order Peramelemorphia (which includes modern bandicoots and bilbies) stratigraphically date from the upper Oligocene of Australia. Here we describe new ancient peramelemorphian remains from the Etadunna, Namba and Wipajiri formations, which fill gaps in the documented evolutionary history of the clade spanning some 10 million years. The identified taxa include three new species of Bulungu that incorporate the oldest stem peramelemorphian known to date from Faunal Zone A of the Etadunna Formation. We also report a new genus and species of potential thylacomyid, which pushes back the divergence of bilbies by ∼10 million years. Finally, we present a phylogenetic analysis that clarifies the evolutionary relationships of these new taxa with a reassignment of the genus Bulungu to Yaraloidea. Kenny J. Travouillon* [Kenny.Travouillon@museum.wa.gov.au], Western Australian Museum, Collections and Research, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, Western Australia, 6106, Australia; Robin M. D. Beck [R.M.D.Beck@salford.ac.uk], Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Manchester, UK; Judd A. Case [jcase@ewu.edu], Department of Biology, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, WA, 99004, USA.

Local Fijian bees at more risk than imposters

The archipelago of Fiji is more than just a tropical paradise – it is home to at least 30 species of bee, with most making their homes in the mountains above 800 m. ‘Homalictus fijiensis is the only endemic species of bee that commonly occurs in the lowland region of Fiji’, says Carmen da Silva, from Monash University, Australia. However, H. fijiensis’s low altitude supremacy has recently been challenged. ‘Within the last two to three decades, two invasive stem-nesting Apidae bee species [Ceratina dentipes and Braunsapis puangensis] were unintentionally introduced to Fiji’, says da Silva; and the luscious island is much to their liking. However, the insects’ idyllic ecosystem is one of the most vulnerable on the planet. Wondering how the imposters and H. fijiensis will fare as climate change takes a grip and temperatures climb, da Silva, with PI Vanessa Kellermann and colleagues from Monash and Flinders Universities and the South Australian Museum travelled to Fiji's largest island, Viti Levu, to investigate.The team joined local scientists Marika Tuiwawa and Stephen Galvin, from the University of the South Pacific, to collect the insects on the island in April and again in September–October 2019. Returning quickly to their impromptu hotel-laboratory with the bees, da Silva, Sarah Barker, Nicholas Congedi, James Dorey and Kellermann tested how well the insects coped with high and low temperatures, in addition to how well they tolerated dry conditions. ‘Those traits are often closely linked with species distribution and survival capabilities in different environments’, da Silva explains. In addition, Julian Beaman and Lesley Alton measured the insects' metabolic rate and da Silva recalls a wild goose chase in search of soda lime to scrub CO2 out of the air when the experiments were at risk. ‘In the end, we had to buy 10 kg from someone who was no longer able to use it for SCUBA diving’, she chuckles, adding ‘Conducting experiments in the field is often tricky’.As the team feared, the invaders are far more robust than the indigenous bees. Ceratina dentipes and B. puangensis can withstand temperatures of over 47°C while the local Fijians can't survive temperatures above 44°C. da Silva was also astonished by the invaders’ resilience during a dry period. She describes how three of the four C. dentipes survived more than 30 h without water – the experiments often required staying awake for up to 2 days with only brief naps – whereas the Fijian bees only lived for up to 6.7 h. Ceratina dentipes was also the most resilient when pulling out of a coma – caused by being chilled at –1°C for 2h – managing it in just under 12 min. In contrast, B. puangensis and H. fijiensis took almost 17 min longer to recover.However, when it came to adjusting to the seasons, the local bees had the upper hand. ‘Homalictus fijiensis seemed to have the greatest capacity to shift their critical thermal maximum with changes in season’, says da Silva, explaining that the local insects were able to survive temperatures up to 45°C during the warmer wet season, falling to 43°C during the milder dry season.‘The main result is that the two invasive species are more tolerant to high temperatures and dry environments than endemic H. fijiensis’, says da Silva, who is concerned that the odds may be stacked against the indigenous bees as the temperatures rise, with potentially damaging consequences for the rest of the island if the intimate relationship between the insects and the plants they pollinate is disrupted.

A new species of the genus Amphicteis Grube, 1850 (Annelida, Ampharetidae) from the Yellow Sea, China, together with a redescription of A. dalmatica Hutchings & Rainer, 1979.

A new species of the ampharetid genus Amphicteis, A. hwanghaiensissp. nov., is described based on material from the Yellow Sea. The new species is characterized by the possession of long, stout, golden paleae with blunt tips, digitiform rudimentary notopodia on the abdominal uncinigers, uncini with a subrostral process, and a narrow rectangular hump separating branchial groups. Amphicteis dalmatica was redescribed from type materials at the Australian Museum, Sydney, and the differences between A. dalmatica and A. hwanghaiensissp. nov. are discussed. A key to distinguish Amphicteis species described or reported in Western Pacific waters is provided.

Current condition of Bathypogon types (Diptera: Asilidae) described by Frank M. Hull and housed in the South Australian Museum of Natural History with notes on other Bathypogon types.

The current condition of the types of Bathypogon, described by Frank M. Hull 1956-1959, are listed. By his own admission, a portion of the material borrowed from the South Australian Museum was destroyed by "pests". Note is made that the holotype of Bathypogon microdonturus is missing and presumed destroyed. Additions are made to the published data based on data on the Type specimen labels. Photos of the hypandrium of some Bathypogon holotypes that reside in the SA Museum collection are provided.

Body and Language: Enlivening Exhibitions of Colonial Women in Australian Museums

Body and Language: Enlivening Exhibitions of Colonial Women in Australian Museums

History of the Tokyo Imperial Household Museum bird collection: specimens originating from the Australian Museum

History of the Tokyo Imperial Household Museum bird collection: specimens originating from the Australian Museum

Gastrointestinal nematodes of Paramelomys levipes and P. mollis (Rodentia: Muridae) from Papua, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea with the descriptions of three new genera and nine new species (Nematoda).

Nematodes from four families comprising 18 species identified to species level, six to subfamily level as well as larval and adult heligmonellids and juvenile females of an undetermined family were recovered from eight individuals of Paramelomys levipes and 27 individuals of P. mollis (Muridae: Murinae: Uromys Division) from Papua New Guinea and Papua, Indonesia. Originally all the hosts were registered as P. levipes in the Australian and Bishop museum collections, but the probable identity of the host individuals was decided according to the altitude of the collection sites. A capillariid, Capillaria s. l., a putative species of the Nippostrongylinae and a small number of male and female nippostrongylins could not be identified further. The spirurid Protospirura kaindiensis had been previously reported from Sahulan Old Endemic fauna. The oxyurid Syphacia (Syphacia) dewiae n. sp. differed from all its congeners in having an oval laterally extended cephalic plate with a dorso-ventral constriction, cervical and lateral alae, a female tail up to 1400 long and a spicule up to 102 long. The remaining species, all heligmonellids included the brevistriatin Macrostrongylus ingens and 14 nippostrongylin species. Of these Hughjonestrongylus amplicauda, H. mirzai, H. singauwaensis, and Odilia mackerrasae had been reported previously in species of Paramelomys. Species of Flannerystrongylus and Parasabanema, possibly new species, could not be described further. Flannerystrongylus chisholmae n. sp., a smaller worm, differed from its congener F. abulus in having a spicule to body length ratio of 13.2% and only 6 eggs in utero. Helgenema keablei n. gen., n. sp. differed from the 44 nippostrongylin genera known to date in having a synlophe of 11- 15 small ridges and a left cuticular dilatation supported anteriorly by a single large ridge. Paramelomystrongylus dessetae n. gen., n. sp. differed from all other nippostrongylin genera in having a synlophe of 13-16 ridges with a type A carene supported by 2 hypertrophied ridges and the right lateral ridges larger than the dorsal and ventral ridges. Parasabanema sene n. sp. differed from its congener, P. szalayi, in having a synlophe of 30 ridges. Hughjonestrongylus alisoni n. sp., H. arfakiensis n. sp., H. digianiae n. sp. and H. spratti n. sp. were distinguished from all other species of Hughjonestrongylus and each other by a combination of characters including the number of synlophe ridges, 28, 21-26, 20-23, 22-25 respectively, in the mid body, spicule length, proportions of the ovejector and shape of the female posterior end. The combined helminth assemblage was dominated by heligmonellids, as has been reported for other paramelomys, with eight species as well as the oxyurid being unique to P. levipes and P. mollis. Overlapping of host habitat could account for the similarities of the nematode assemblages recorded for those species of paramelomys that have been studied.

Review of Orbiniidae (Annelida, Sedentaria) from Australia

The present study is a review of all known Australian and New Zealand orbiniid species with their redescription based mainly on the collection of the Australian Museum (Sydney). A total of 28 species were examined: seven species of Scoloplos, three species of Leitoscoloplos, five species of Leodamas, three species of Naineris, two species of Orbinia, three species of Phylo, one species of Proscoloplos, and four species of Protoariciella. Leodamas australiensis (Hartmann-Schröder, 1979) is the new combination. Illustrated descriptions and an identification key for Australian and New Zealand orbiniids are provided.

Reconsidering the ‘phyllocarid’ from the Wade Creek Formation

The fossil record of phyllocarids in Australia is decidedly limited, with only a few specimens known from Ordovician to Devonian deposits. Therefore, the identification of examples from older deposits would uncover more facets of Gondwanan crustacean evolution. Here, a supposed phyllocarid reported by Chapman (1925) from the Mount John Shale Member of the Wade Creek Formation is reconsidered. We conclude that the ‘phyllocarid’-like structure is somewhat morphologically comparable to traces ascribed to the activity of bivalved arthropods. However, as the Mount John Shale Member is likely Mesoproterozoic in age, the most parsimonious explanation is that the structure is a cast created by abiotic activity. Re-examination of such specimens represents a useful approach to clarifying previous misidentifications in the literature and is an important application of historically valuable specimens and collections. R.D.C. Bicknell [rdcbicknell@gmail.com], Palaeoscience Research Centre, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2351, Australia; P.M. Smith [Patrick.Smith@austmus.gov.au], Palaeontology Department, Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, 2010, Australia; Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia; N. Schroeder [Natalie.Schroeder@ga.gov.au] Geoscience Australia, Symonston ACT 2609, Australia; J. Kimmig [jkimmig@psu.edu] Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.

No sense of place in a biodiversity hotspot

This essay is based on my 2019 George Seddon Memorial Lecture at the University of Western Australia. Professor George Seddon AM (1927–2007), had a Ph.D. in geology but held the Chair of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of New South Wales and later became Director of the Centre for Environmental Studies and the Dean of Architecture and Planning at Melbourne University. Across five decades he held Chairs in four different disciplines (English, University of Western Australia; Geology, University of Oregon; History and Philosophy of Science, University of New South Wales; Environmental Science, University of Melbourne) and taught at universities in Lisbon, Toronto, Bologna, Rome, Venice, Minnesota and Oregon. He was awarded the Eureka Prize from the Australian Museum in 1995, the Mawson Medal from the Academy of Science in 1996 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Planning Institute of Australia.

A new Ordovician (Katian) calymenid, Gravicalymene bakeri sp. nov., from the Gordon Group, Tasmania, Australia

A previously unreported calymenid trilobite, Gravicalymene bakeri sp. nov., is described herein from Late Ordovician (latest Eastonian, Katian) shales of the Gordon Group, Tasmania. This is the first record of Gravicalymene from the Ordovician of East Gondwana (Australasia), a genus which is otherwise relatively well-known from Avalonia, Baltica and Laurentia (i.e., Europe and North America). The current taxonomic status of the genus Gravicalymene and other morphologically similar genera (e.g., Apocalymene, Calymene, Flexicalymene, and Sthenarocalymene) is also discussed. P.M. Smith [Patrick.Smith@austmus.gov.au] Palaeontology Department, Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, 2010, Australia and, Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia; M.C. Ebach [m.ebach@unsw.edu.au] Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.

Syllidae (Annelida) from East Timor and the Philippines (Pacific Ocean), with the description of three new species of Syllis Savigny in Lamarck, 1818.

East Timor is an island located to the south of the Indonesian Archipelago and to the north of Australia, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is included in the Coral Triangle and houses an amazing quantity of marine biodiversity. However, only two species of Syllidae (Annelida) have been reported up to now: Trypanosyllis migueli and T. devae. Based on a small collection from the Australian Museum, we have identified nine genera and 17 species: Brevicirrosyllis mariae, Opisthodonta morena, Sphaerosyllis densopapillata, Branchiosyllis australis, B. exilis, B. maculata, B. verruculosa, Haplosyllis djiboutiensis, Opisthosyllis brunnea, Syllis alternata, S. broomensis, S. corallicola, S. erikae, S. gerlachi, S. hyalina, S. setoensis and Trypanosyllis luzonensis. This is the first record of S. gerlachi outside the Indian Ocean, and B. mariae, O. morena, S. densopapillata, H. djiboutiensis, S. corallicola and S. erikae have not been previously reported in tropical Asia. A specimen of Parahaplosyllis sp. could not be identified due to its poor condition. Three species belonging to Syllis are herein described as new: S. cambuk n. sp. has a large size body, with anterior segments much wider and shorter than posterior ones, long whip-shaped dorsal cirri and bidentate midbody and posterior chaetae, with both teeth equal in size and shape; Syllis hampirmenyatu n. sp. has three chaetae per posterior parapodium, with short and wide blades appearing to be fused with shafts, but still clearly distinguishable from each other, bidentate, with proximal tooth clearly smaller and thinner than distal one; and S. maganda n. sp. is easily recognizable because of its spectacular orange and blue colouration, only observable in living specimens, with broad transverse red stripes on the dorsum forming a distinctive pattern and red spots on the cirri and prostomium observable in both living and fixed specimens. Additionally, Philippine samples from the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales of Madrid have been examined corresponding to S. maganda n. sp. A Philippine specimen of S. maganda n. sp. had a small unidentified specimen of Haplosyllis attached to a posterior dorsal cirrus, which is the first documented case of such an interaction between two species of Syllidae. This provisionally called Haplosyllis sp. is characterized by its simple chaetae with short spur and two very long, distinct curved teeth, very close to each other. A regenerated prostomium and a stolon were also found in other Philippine specimens of S. maganda n. sp.

The supernatural and sensitive Indigenous materials: a workplace health and safety issue?

ABSTRACT Australian museums that care for Australian Indigenous collections, appropriately attempt to engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees for these custodial roles. Rarely, however, do institutions consider that the cultural backgrounds and beliefs of employees may expose them to unique risks, in particular, culturally accepted beliefs in the supernatural. Indigenous people are often asked to engage with the cultural materials of other cultures, including Ancestral Remains, sacred objects, and objects that, through the processes of collection, may be associated with grief or trauma. Culturally supported beliefs in supernatural powers inherent in cultural materials can lead to distressful experiences. Museums should ensure that culturally appropriate mechanisms are put in place to provide support and counselling for Indigenous staff taking on the responsibility for dealing with Indigenous collections; both of their own and other cultural groups. Such mechanisms will protect staff and reduce the risk of future legal claims against the institution.

Two new species of Sabellariidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) from the abyss of eastern Australia

In May-June 2017 an expedition on board RV 'Investigator' sampled benthic communities along the lower slope and abyss of eastern Australia from off Tasmania to the Coral Sea. Over 200 sabellariid specimens of the genera Phalacrostemma and Gesaia were collected during the voyage and deposited in the Australian Museum. Here we describe two new species Gesaia csiro n. sp. (4414-4436 m) and Phalacrostemma timoharai n. sp. (1013-1093 m). We did not formally describe another species of Phalacrostemma due to poor condition of the single specimen. Gesaia csiro n. sp. is the first record of the genus from Australian waters (only a planktonic larva attributed to the genus has previously been recorded), and it can be distinguished from other congeners by the smooth surface of inner paleae, distal thecae of outer paleae with long, irregular and expanded distal fringe and circled distal margin. Phalacrostemma timoharai n. sp. differs from congeners by the following combination of characters: presence of the buccal flap, absence of tentacular filament, 18-22 pairs of outer paleae, two pairs of neuropodial cirri on first thoracic segment, and only one pair of lateral lobes on second thoracic segment. Morphological descriptions are accompanied by mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and ribosomal (16S, 18S and 28S) sequence data. A key to all Australian species of sabellariids is given.

Ceriantharia (Cnidaria) from Australia, New Zealand and Antarctica with descriptions of four new species

The fauna of Ceriantharia (tube-anemones) in the South Pacific is poorly studied with only four shallow-water species formally described and these animals are known from few regions in very specific reports. Cerianthids are organisms that live in a tube constructed with a special type of cnidae and are currently grouped in an exclusive subclass of Anthozoa. This study addresses specimens from three natural history collections, the Australian Museum and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (both Australia), and the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA) Invertebrate Collection (New Zealand), focusing on specimens from the Coral Sea, Tasman Sea and Antarctic Ocean. As a result, four new species are described and one synonymized. This highlights the ongoing need for taxonomic studies in the region, especially for marine organisms. Also, in this study, we offer tables with morphological characters that can be useful for species identification in each genus.

Light at the museum – A near impossible result

The monitoring and quantification of the illegal harvest of protected animal products is very vital for the conservation and protection of endangered species. Most of the methods and techniques used in the trade of these products are recognised to be incredibly time consuming and labour intensive requiring significant analyst expertise. In this study, we have demonstrated the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy combined with either principal component analysis or partial least square discriminant analysis regression as a rapid and non-invasive tool to classify horn and ivory samples stored in the Australian Museum, Sydney. This study has also demonstrated the attractiveness of the near-infrared technique as a screening tool that could revolutionise the tracking and identification of contraband materials produced from horn and ivory biomaterials.

Notes on the diets of four rodent species from Goodenough Island

Goodenough Island is in the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea and is located off of New Guinea’s eastern coast. Goodenough Island has a unique yet poorly studied mammal community. Previous dietary study of mycophagous New Guinean forest wallabies showed that Goodenough Island’s endemic black forest wallaby (Dorcopsis atrata) ate at least 12 taxa of fungi. Using spirit collections at the Australian Museum in Sydney, we evaluated and compared fungal diversity in rodent diets on the same island. We sampled diets of four Goodenough Island rodent species (Chiruromys forbesi, Paramelomys platyops, Rattus exulans and Rattus mordax) and show that fungi are dietary components for three of these mammals.

Revised Type Locality and Distribution of the Data Deficient Chelodina kuchlingi and a Review of its Status as a Distinct Species

The description of Chelodina kuchlingi was based on a single holotype with the type locality Kalumburu in the northern Kimberley, Western Australia. Over the last decade, C. kuchlingi was variously considered a valid species, or its validity was questioned because the accuracy of the type locality was questioned, or it was listed as synonym of Chelodina rugosa. Serum-immunological data published 45 yrs ago, suggesting a sister species status of the then still-undescribed species to C. rugosa, were recently corroborated by mitochondrial DNA technology. Accordingly, in the most recent International Union for Conservation of Nature Draft Red List assessment, C. kuchlingi is considered to represent a valid, Data Deficient species. A review of documents from the 1960s demonstrates that mix-ups of collection data of various turtle specimens occurred between their collection in the Kimberley in 1965 and 1966 and their accession in the Western Australian Museum 9–24 mo later. Three specimens of C. kuchlingi, including the holotype, were evidently collected in 1965 at Parry Creek in the eastern Kimberley. An additional C. kuchlingi specimen was collected at this location in 1974. Turtle surveys in the Kalumburu area since 1974 have not recorded C. kuchlingi. The type locality of Chelodina kuchlingiCann 1997 is corrected accordingly and clarified as Parry Creek, lower Ord River floodplain, Kimberley, Western Australia (ICZN Recommend. 76A.2). The currently known distribution of C. kuchlingi is restricted to this site. Damming of the Ord River in the 1960s and 1970s and large-scale agricultural developments changed the hydrology of the floodplain and established an open channel connectivity close to the Victoria River catchment in the Northern Territory. Turtle collections and surveys in the Parry Creek area during the 21st Century have not detected C. kuchlingi and only recorded Chelodina walloyarrina and C. rugose–like specimens. Chelodina rugosa is widespread in the Northern Territory and Queensland but had never been recorded in the Kimberley prior to 2007. A targeted survey is urgently needed to investigate if a recent invasion by its common and widespread sister species is threatening the persistence of the rare and localized C. kuchlingi.

Australian Museum surveys of the vertebrate fauna of Coolah Tops National Park, NSW

Coolah Tops, c. 360 km northwest of Sydney, at the western end of the Liverpool Range, in central western New South Wales, is a fertile basalt plateau that rises to over 1000 m, and so is cooler and wetter than the surrounding drier and hotter western slopes. It represents a western outlier of tall moist montane forest and may therefore have served as a mesic refuge during arid climatic cycles. Despite its high biodiversity and biogeographical interest, Coolah Tops National Park and the surrounding area was very poorly represented in natural history museum collections. This report details the results of two field trips that Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI) vertebrate staff made to Coolah Tops in May and November 2018. During these surveys, 109 vertebrate species were recorded in the National Park. In total, 160 specimens and associated tissues of 39 species were added to Australian Museum collections. An additional 51 tissue samples from three bird and six mammal species, as well as 13 skeletal remains of six mammal species were also added. This field work has continued to document the vertebrate biodiversity of Coolah Tops National Park and has significantly increased the AM’s holding of specimens and genetic samples from this biologically significant area of NSW. Some of this recently collected material has already been incorporated into several research projects and it will continue to be utilized by AMRI and other researchers for decades to come.

New approaches to zoology: Plenary 4

Following the fourth session of the forum, we held a question and answer session facilitated by Paul Willis. The presentations covered by this plenary session were: What can we do with poo: genetic analysis of scat samples to inform the conversation Tasmanian Devil? (Catherine Grueber et al. University of Sydney)Probing the sex life of the dragon. (Arthur Georges, University of Canberra)Secrets from beyond extinction; unlocking the thylacine genome. (Andrew Pask, University of Melbourne)The Oz Mammals genomics initiative: developing resources for mammal conservation. (Mark Eldridge et al. Australian Museum)