Macropus gracilis Miklouho-Maclay, 1885b

Parnaby, Harry & Gill, Anthony C., 2021, Mammal type specimens in the Macleay Collections, University of Sydney, Zootaxa 4975 (2), pp. 201-252 : 231-232

Macropus gracilis Miklouho-Maclay, 1885b

Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. (ser. 1) 9 (4), 894, plate 39, fig. 7–8. (4th March 1885).

Description read at the 24th September 1884 meeting of the LSNSW.

Current name. Dusky Pademelon Thylogale brunii ( Schreber, 1778) following Flannery (1992).

Taxonomic status. Not considered to be a valid species or subspecies since Laurie & Hill (1954), prior to which it was treated as a species by most taxonomists. With very few specimens at his disposal, Miklouho-Maclay differentiated this entity entirely from the shape of the upper incisors, which Thomas (1888) considered to reflect age-related differences, presumably arising from the extent of tooth wear.

Holotype. M.382 by subsequent determination ( Stanbury 1969; Flannery 1992: 12), adult male, poorly preserved mount, skull separate; skull and both dentaries badly decalcified and distorted ( Fig. 12 ), teeth corroded. Miklouho-Maclay stated that the specimen was purchased by Macleay from Mr. Goldie. Stanbury (1969) cited M.382 as the holotype but did not indicate if the skull was in situ.

Type locality. Port Moresby area, Central Province , Papua New Guinea. Given as “hills near Anuabada (Port Moresby)” ( Miklouho-Maclay, 1885b) [= Hanuabada village, now a suburb of Port Moresby] .

Comments. In his description, Miklouho-Maclay lamented not having a skull to examine, but he provided an illustration of the lateral incisors visible from the skin mount and it is clear that he had a single stuffed skin with skull in situ. The skull was still in the skin when examined by Tate in the late 1930’s ( Tate 1940). The specimen was listed as a skin mount, with no listing of a skull when registered in the mid-1960s. We have not established when the skull was removed from the skin. The skull was examined by Flannery (1992) and thus had been extracted from the skin sometime in the previous 25 years.

Two of the eight skin mount measurements given by Miklouho-Maclay can be measured with reasonable confidence on M.382 and both are a close match to his. Our measurements are: “tip of nose to base of tail”, measured as c. 29 inches (= 736 mm) taken along the spine following the body contours vs. his 29.3 inches, and“tail tip to base of tail”, measured as c. 38.5 cm vs. his c. 385 mm. The shape of the upper incisors illustrated in the original description, particularly I 3, are consistent with the skull now labelled M.382. The length of I 1–3 on the left side measured from a hardcopy of plate 39 is 10.5 mm, compared to 10.17 mm on M.382.

Measurements (mm) of M.382. Cranial measurements could not be restricted to one side of the cranium due to corrosion and damage. As the dentaries are disassociated, measurements are given for both. Cranium: GL, 103.6; CONL, 93.25; ZYG, 53.0; POC, 12.90; Palatal length, -; Mastoid breadth, 35.4; Diastema (right side), 16.95; Nasal length, -; Maximum breadth across both nasals, 12.9; Outside breadth across tooth rows (at second last M, cingula), 29.65; Outside breadth across both P (enamel), 21.15; I 1–3 left side, maximum length (enamel), 10.17; I 1 left side maximum length of enamel, 4.54; Left P length (enamel), 5.97; Left P maximum breadth (enamel), 3.12; Right P to last erupted M (cingula), 31.75. Right dentary: Dentary length (to posterior margin of angular process), 73.05; P length (cingula), 5.75; P to last erupted M (cingula), 30.45; Molar row (cingula), 25.2; Masseteric fossa breadth, 19.4; Left dentary: dentary length (to posterior margin of angular process), 73.5; P length (cingula), 5.78; P to last erupted M (cingula), 30.95; Molar row (cingula), 25.5; Masseteric fossa breadth, 19.9.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Cranium of M.382, holotype of Macropus gracilis Miklouho-Maclay, 1885b [= Thylogale brunii (Schreber, 1778)], extracted from the skin at an unknown date in the late 20th century (dentaries not shown). Scale bar = 1 cm.