Brachalletes

Brachalletes was an early marsupial from the Pleistocene deposits of Australia. Its relationship with other marsupial species is under debate. The genus is extinct. The species was assigned to the order Diprotodontia, suborder Macropodiformes, and family Hypsiprymnodontidae by McKenna and Bell in 1997, though it is placed in its own order by other authorities. The species is described as an active carnivore.[2]

Brachalletes
Temporal range: Pleistocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Infraclass:
Marsupialia
Order:
Diprotodontia
Suborder:
Macropodiformes
Family:
Hypsiprymnodontidae
Genus:
†Brachalletes
Species:
†B. palmeri
Binomial name
†Brachalletes palmeri
de Vis, 1883[1]

The first description of the species Brachalletes palmeri was assigned to a new genus by the author Charles De Vis, suggesting that it was probably distinguishable from the genus Procoptodon. The specimens obtained at the Chinchilla site were presented to the Linnean Society of New South Wales and published in its journal in 1883. The genus name was intended to allude what was estimated to be a "contracted gait" of the new macropod, the specific epithet was an honour to Arthur Hunter Palmer, who had assisted in the collection of the specimens.[1]

References
  1. De Vis, C.W. (1883). "On Brachalletes Palmeri an extinct marsupial". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 8: 190–193. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.28647.
  2. The Paleobiology Database


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