Biology:Phalangeriformes

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Phalangeriformes /fəˈlændʒərɪfɔːrmiːz/ are quadrupedal marsupials with long tails. They are a paraphyletic[1] suborder of Diprotodontia, consisting of about 70 species[clarification needed] of small to medium-sized marsupials native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi.[2] It includes possums,[3] gliders, and cuscus.

Phalangeriformes species are typically nocturnal and at least partially arboreal. They mostly inhabit vegetated habitats,{{Citation needed|date=April 2026} well to urban settings.[citation needed] Diets range from generalist an [herbivores or omnivores (the common brushtail possum) to specialist browsers of eucalyptus (greater glider), insectivores (mountain pygmy possum) and nectar-feeders (honey possum).[citation needed] The smallest phalangeriforme species , indeed the smallest diprotodont marsupial{{Citation needed|date=April 2026} ], with an adult head-body length of 70 mm (2 3⁄4 in) and a weight of 10 g (3⁄8 oz).[4] The largest are the two species of bear cuscus, which may exceed 7 kg (15 lb 7 oz).[citation needed] The common name "possum" for various Phalangeriformes species derives from the creatures' resemblance to the opossums of the Americas (the term comes from Powhatan language aposoum "white animal", from Proto-Algonquian *wa·p-aʔɬemwa "white dog").[5] However, although opossums are also marsupials, Australasian possums are more closely related to other Australasian marsupials such as kangaroos.

Classification

Main article: Biology:List of phalangeriformes
Eastern pygmy possum, Pilliga forest, NSW
Sulawesi bear cuscus
Southern common cuscus, Cape York Peninsula, Queensland
Common spotted cuscus, Genoa
Common ringtail possum, Brisbane
Herbert River ringtail possum, 1884
Striped possum, Crater Lakes National Park, Queensland
Sugar gliders at mealtime
The diminutive feathertail glider

About two-thirds of Australian marsupials belong to the order Diprotodontia, which is split into three suborders, namely the Vombatiformes (wombats and the koala, four species in total); the large and diverse Phalangeriformes (the possums and gliders) and Macropodiformes (kangaroos, potoroos, wallabies and the musky rat-kangaroo).

Note: this classification is based on Ruedas & Morales 2005.[clarification needed] However, Phalangeriformes has been recovered as paraphyletic with respect to Macropodiformes, rendering the latter a subset of the former if Phalangeriformes are to be considered a natural group.[6][7]

Classification:


The following cladogram is based on information from Álvarez-Carretero et al. 2022[8]:

 
Phalangeriformes
Phalangeroidea
Burramyidae
Burramys
 

Burramys parvus (mountain pygmy possum)

 
 
Cercartetus
 

Cercartetus caudatus (long-tailed pygmy possum)

 
 

Cercartetus lepidus (Tasmanian pygmy possum)

 
 

Cercartetus concinnus (southwestern pygmy possum)

 
 

Cercartetus nanus (eastern pygmy possum)

 
 
 
Phalangeridae
Wyulda
 

Wyulda squamicaudata (scaly-tailed possum)

 
 
Trichosurus
 

Trichosurus johnstonii (coppery brushtail possum)

 
 

Trichosurus caninus (short-eared possum)

 
 

Trichosurus arnhemensis (northern brushtail possum)

 
 

Trichosurus vulpecula (common brushtail possum)

 
 
Strigocuscus/Ailurops
 

Strigicuscus celebensis (Sulawesi dwarf cuscus)

 
 

Ailurops ursinus (Sulawesi bear cuscus)

 
 

Strigocuscus pelengensis (Banggai cuscus)

 
 
Spilocuscus
 

Spilocuscus rufoniger (black-spotted cuscus)

 
 

Spilocuscus maculatus (common spotted cuscus)

 
 
Phalanger
 

Phalanger gymnotis(ground cuscus)

 
 

Phalanger vestitus (Stein's cuscus)

 
 

Phalanger lullulae (woodlark cuscus)

 
 

Phalanger sericeus (silky cuscus)

 
 

Phalanger orientalis (northern common cuscus)

 
 

Phalanger carmelitae (mountain cuscus)

 
 
 
 
Petauroidea
Acrobatidae
Distoechurus
 

Distoechurus pennatus (feather-tailed possum)

 
 
Acrobates
 

Acrobates pygmaeus (feathertail glider)

 
 
 
Tarsipedidae
Tarsipes
 

Tarsipes rostratus (honey possum)

 
 
 
Petauridae
Dactylopsila
 

Dactylopsila trivirgata (striped possum)

 
 

Dactylopsila palpator (long-fingered triok)

 
 
Gymnobelideus
 

Gymnobelideus leadbeateri (Leadbeater's possum)

 
 
Petaurus
 

Petarus abidi (northern glider)

 
 

Petaurus breviceps (sugar glider)

 
 

Petaurus norfolcensis (squirrel glider)

 
 
 
Pseudocheiridae
Pseudocheirus
 

Pseudocheirus peregrinus (common ringtail possum)

 
 
Pseudochirulus
 

Pseudochirulus herbertensis (Herbert River ringtail possum)

 
 

Pseudochirulus forbesi (painted ringtail possum)

 
 

Pseudochirulus canescens (lowland ringtail possum)

 
 

Pseudochirulus caroli (Weyland ringtail possum)

 
 

Pseudochirulus mayeri (pygmy ringtail possum)

 
 
Hemibelideus
 

Hemibelideus lemuroides (lemur-like ringtail possum)

 
 
Petauroides
 

Petauroides volans (southern greater glider)

 
 
Pseudochirops/Petropseudes
 

Pseudochirops archeri (green ringtail possum)

 
 

Petropseudes dahli (rock-haunting ringtail possum)

 
 

Pseudochirops corinnae (plush-coated ringtail possum)

 
 

Pseudochirops albertisii (D'Albertis' ringtail possum)

 
 

Pseudochirops cupreus (coppery ringtail possum)

 
 
 
 
 
 


See also

  • Fauna of Australia

References

  1. ↑ Eldridge, Mark D B; Beck, Robin M D; Croft, Darin A; Travouillon, Kenny J; Fox, Barry J (2019-05-23). "An emerging consensus in the evolution, phylogeny, and systematics of marsupials and their fossil relatives (Metatheria)". Journal of Mammalogy 100 (3): 802–837. doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyz018. ISSN 0022-2372. 
  2. ↑ Groves, C. P. (2005). "Suborder Phalangeriformes". in Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 44–56. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/biology/resources/msw3/browse.asp?id=11000015. 
  3. ↑ opossum (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press, September 2005, http://oed.com/search?searchType=dictionary&q=opossum  (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  4. ↑ Ward, S.J. (1992). "Life-History of the Little Pygmy-Possum, Cercartetus lepidus (Marsupialia, Burramyidae), in the Big Desert, Victoria". Australian Journal of Zoology 40 (1): 43–55. doi:10.1071/ZO9920043. 
  5. ↑ Siebert, Frank T. Jr. (1975). "Resurrecting Virginia Algonquian from the Dead: The Reconstituted and Historical Phonology of Powhatan". in Crawford, James Mack. Studies in Southeastern Indian Languages. University of Georgia Press. 
  6. ↑ Warburton, Natalie M.; Prideaux, Gavin J. (2021). "The skeleton of Congruus kitcheneri, a semiarboreal kangaroo from the Pleistocene of southern Australia". Royal Society Open Science 8 (3). doi:10.1098/rsos.202216. PMID 33959368. Bibcode: 2021RSOS....802216W. 
  7. ↑ Eldridge, Mark D B; Beck, Robin M D; Croft, Darin A; Travouillon, Kenny J; Fox, Barry J (2019-05-23). "An emerging consensus in the evolution, phylogeny, and systematics of marsupials and their fossil relatives (Metatheria)". Journal of Mammalogy 100 (3): 802–837. doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyz018. ISSN 0022-2372. 
  8. ↑ Álvarez-Carretero, Sandra; Tamuri, Asif U.; Battini, Matteo; Nascimento, Fabrícia F.; Carlisle, Emily; Asher, Robert J.; Yang, Ziheng; Donoghue, Philip C.J. et al. (2022). "A species-level timeline of mammal evolution integrating phylogenomic data". Nature 602 (7896): 263-267. doi:10.1038/s41586-021-04341-1. PMID 34937052. Bibcode: 2022Natur.602..263A. 

Further reading

  • Possums and Gliders – Australia Zoo
  • Urban Possums – ABC (Science), Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  • Ruedas, L.A.; Morales, J.C. (2005). "Evolutionary relationships among genera of Phalangeridae (Metatheria: Diprotodontia) inferred from mitochondrial data". Journal of Mammalogy 86 (2): 353–365. doi:10.1644/BER-117.1. 
  • Possums or Opossums? on Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Template:Phalangerida

Wikidata ☰ Q279198 entry



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