Did Zaglossus bruijnii occur in the Kimberley region of Western Australia?
Andrew A. Burbidge
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
87 Rosedale Street, Floreat, WA 6014, Australia. Email: amburbidge@westnet.com.au
Australian Mammalogy 40(2) 315-318 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM17053
Submitted: 15 November 2017 Accepted: 26 November 2017 Published: 21 December 2017
Abstract
A 2012 paper reported the discovery of a specimen of Zaglossus bruijnii with a label attached that recorded that it had been collected at Mount Anderson, in the south-west Kimberley region of Western Australia, in 1901. Based on several lines of evidence, I argue that this distinctive long-beaked echidna is not, and has not been, part of the Kimberley region’s modern mammal fauna. The simplest and most plausible explanation is that the tag on the specimen came from another animal.
References
Abbott, I. (2016). Foreword and Appendix to the Explorers’ Diaries Project Edition of ‘In Savage Australia’ by Knut Dahl. pp. 327–332. (Hesperion Press: Perth.)Akerman, K. (2009) Interaction between humans and megafauna depicted in Australian rock art? Antiquity 83(322). http://www.antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/akerman322/ (accessed 12 December 2017).
Akerman, K., Willing, T. (2009) An ancient rock painting of a marsupial lion, Thylacaleo carnifex, from the Kimberley, Western Australia. Antiquity 83(319). http://www.antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/akerman319/ (accessed 12 December 2017).
Augee, M. L. (2008). Short-beaked echinda Tachyglossus aculeatus. In ‘The Mammals of Australia’. (Eds S. M. Van Dyck and R. Strahan.) pp. 37–39. (Reed New Holland: Sydney.)
Burbidge, A. A., Johnson, K. J., Fuller, P. J., and Southgate, R. I. (1988). Aboriginal knowledge of the mammals of the central deserts of Australia. Australian Wildlife Research 15, 9–39.
| Aboriginal knowledge of the mammals of the central deserts of Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dahl, K. (1926) ‘In Savage Australia. An Account of a Hunting and Collecting Expedition to Arnhem Land and Dampier Land.’ (Philip Allan and Co: London.)
Flannery, T. F. (1995) ‘Mammals of New Guinea.’ (Reed Books: Sydney.)
Helgen, K. M., Miguez, R. P., James, L. K., and Lauren, E. H. (2012). Twentieth century occurrence of the long-beaked echidna Zaglossus bruijnii in the Kimberley region of Australia. ZooKeys 255, 103–132.
| Twentieth century occurrence of the long-beaked echidna Zaglossus bruijnii in the Kimberley region of Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Karadada, J., Karadada, L., Goonack, W., Mangolamara, G., Bunjuck, W., Karadada, L., Djanghara, B., Mangolamara, S., Oobagooma, J., Charles, A., Williams, D., Karadada, R., Saunders, T., and Wightman, G. (2011) ‘Uunguu Plants and Animals.’ (Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation and Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport: Kalumburu.)
Lewis, D. (1986). ‘The Dreamtime Animals’: a reply. Archaeology in Oceania 21, 140–145.
| ‘The Dreamtime Animals’: a reply.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Lewis, D. (2017). Megafauna identification for dummies: Arnhem Land and Kimberley ‘megafauna’ paintings. Rock Art Research: The Journal of the Australian Rock Art Research Association (AURA) 34, 82–89.
Mangglamarra, G., Burbidge, A. A., and Fuller, P. J. (1991). Wunambal words for rainforest and other Kimberley plants and animals. In ‘Kimberley Rainforests of Australia’. (Eds N. L. McKenzie, R. B. Johnston, and P. G. Kendrick.) pp. 413–421. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)
McKenzie, N. L., and Dyne, G. E. (1991). Earthworms of rainforest soils in the Kimberley, WA. In ‘Kimberley Rainforests of Australia’. (Eds N. L. McKenzie, R. B. Johnston, and P. K. Kendrick.) pp. 133–145. (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)
McKenzie, N., Johnston, R., and Kendrick, P. (Eds) (1991). ‘Kimberley Rainforests of Australia.’ (Surrey Beatty: Sydney.)
Murray, P., and Chaloupka, G. (1984). The dreamtime animals: extinct megafauna in Arnhem Land rock art. Archaeology in Oceania 19, 105–116.
Nicol, S. (2015). Family Tachyglossidae (echidnas). In ‘Handbook of the Mammals of the World’. (Eds D. Wilson and R. Mittermeier.) pp. 34–57. (Lynx Editions: Barcelona.)
Opiang, M. D. (2009). Home ranges, movement, and den use in long-beaked echidnas, Zaglossus bartoni, from Papua New Guinea. Journal of Mammalogy 90, 340–346.
| Home ranges, movement, and den use in long-beaked echidnas, Zaglossus bartoni, from Papua New Guinea.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Reid, N., Nunn, R. N., and Sharpe, P. (2014). Indigenous Australian stories and sea level rise. In ‘Proceedings of the 18th Conference of the Foundation for Endangered Languages’. (Eds P. Heinrich and N. Ostler.) pp. 82–88.
Woinarski, J. C. Z., Burbidge, A. A., and Harrison, P. L. (2014) ‘The Action Plan for Australian Mammals 2012.’ (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.)
Ziembicki, M. R., Woinarski, J. C. Z., and Mackey, B. (2013). Evaluating the status of species using Indigenous knowledge: novel evidence for major native mammal declines in northern Australia. Biological Conservation 157, 78–92.
| Evaluating the status of species using Indigenous knowledge: novel evidence for major native mammal declines in northern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
