A southern range extension for Sminthopsis macroura in Western Australia, at Eucla

Linette S. Umbrello; Nathan Beerkens; Joshua Keen; Sylvie Schmidt; Roy J. Teale; Kenny J. Travouillon; Michael Westerman; Andrew M. Baker

doi:10.1071/ZO23045

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

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A southern range extension for Sminthopsis macroura in Western Australia, at Eucla

Linette S. Umbrello

^A ^B ^* , Nathan Beerkens

^C , Joshua Keen

^C , Sylvie Schmidt

^C , Roy J. Teale

^B ^C , Kenny J. Travouillon

^B , Michael Westerman

^D and Andrew M. Baker

^A ^E

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Campus, 2 George Street, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia.

^B Collections and Research, Western Australian Museum, 49 Kew Street, Welshpool, WA 6106, Australia.

^C Biota Environmental Sciences Pty Ltd, PO Box 538, West Perth, WA 6872, Australia.

^D Department of Environment and Genetics, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic. 3086, Australia.

^E Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Queensland Museum, South Brisbane, Qld 4101, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: linette.umbrello@qut.edu.au

Handling Editor: Steven Cooper

Australian Journal of Zoology 71, ZO23045 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO23045

Submitted: 6 November 2023 Accepted: 26 March 2024 Published: 19 April 2024

Abstract

The stripe-faced dunnart (Sminthopsis macroura) is one of the most widespread dasyurids in Australia, occurring mostly in semiarid and arid habitats. It is not known to inhabit coastal regions of southern Australia, and no records have previously been recorded from latitudes greater than 28.5°S in Western Australia. Following the capture of an individual south of the known species range provisionally identified based on external morphology as S. macroura, we used DNA and craniodental morphology to corroborate the specimen’s identification, providing a record of the species at Eucla, Western Australia. This represents a large range extension for S. macroura of 630 km from the nearest confirmed records of the species in Western Australia and South Australia.

Keywords: biodiversity survey, Dasyuridae, marsupial, morphology, museum, phylogenetics, range extension, Sminthopsis.

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