The lanternfishes (Family Myctophidae), represented by some 250 extant species, are a diverse family of oceanic fishes which dominate fish biomass in world oceans. Their collective biomass – several gigatonnes (109 tonne) – exceeds the size of any commercial fish stock. Most lanternfish species reside in the mesopelagic zone (the upper water column of open ocean in ~200-1,000 m depths) where many ascend vertically at night to feed. Lanternfishes are small-bodied (~25–280 mm SL) and are key prey for myriad fishes and squids (including numerous commercial species), seabirds and marine mammals. For these reasons, the ecological roles of lanternfishes and their relevance to food security are of increasing global research interest. Despite numerous lanternfish species being known from Australian waters, no comprehensive and regionally specific key is available to aid species-level identification of the Australian fauna. This paper meets that need by providing illustrated keys to 28 lanternfish genera and 141 species: 27 genera and 136 species present within Australia’s EZ, plus one genus and five species recorded close to the EZ boundary. About half the fauna is contained within the three most speciose genera – Diaphus (40 species), Lampanyctus (16) and Myctophum (14) – while nine genera are represented by single species (Ceratoscopelus, Hintonia, Idiolychnus, Krefftichthys, Lampanyctodes, Lampichthys, Notolychnus, Scopelopsis and Triphoturus); four species remain undescribed (three Myctophum, one Lampanyctus). There are new records from Australian waters of 21 species, and numerous distributional range extensions within Australian waters of previously recorded species. Synopses of the relationships between genera, taxonomic uncertainties, comparisons of morphological and molecular-based taxonomies, and ecological notes are provided for most genera.
The Australian freshwater spiny crayfish genus Euastacus Clark, 1936 is the most speciose genus of the family Parastacidae, with 56 species currently described. A new species of dwarf spiny crayfish, Euastacus fetzneri sp. nov., is described from the uppermost headwaters of the Nerang River catchment in southeast Queensland, Australia. The species represents the most habitat-restricted freshwater crayfish known globally. This groundwater-dependent species inhabits a narrow seepage zone, with its known distribution largely restricted to stretches of less than 70 metres of stream channel below four permanent subterranean emergence points. Morphologically and genetically allied to the geographically proximate E. binzayedi and sympatric with the dwarf-group E. maidae, E. fetzneri is distinguished by the presence of four mesial carpal spines on the major cheliped (versus three in E. binzayedi) and a large, sharp ventral carpal spine (versus obsolete or absent in E. maidae), and unique genetic markers. Ecological observations, burrowing behaviour, and biological notes are provided. Given its extremely limited distribution, small population size, and the high vulnerability of its habitat to disturbance, E. fetzneri meets IUCN Red List criteria as Critically Endangered (CR B1ab(iii, iv)).
The Australian silverfish fauna is still poorly known, requiring more extensive field surveys and descriptions, preferably supported by molecular data. Here two new species of Silvestrisma Molero-Baltanás et al., 2025 (a genus recently split from Heterolepisma Escherich, 1905) are described from Far North Queensland, along with molecular data (COI, 28S) and compared to the closest Australian species S. howense (Womersley, 1942) and S. cooloola (Smith et al., 2019) as well as H. bisetosum (Carpenter, 1916) which is reported from the Seychelles and Somalia. Heterolepisma bisetosum is transferred to Silvestrisma based on its close similarity to this group of Australian species.
In collaboration with the Kwainaa’isi Cultural Centre and Baru Conservation Alliance, we undertook a survey of the land snails of East Kwaio, Malaita, Solomon Islands with emphasis on the species inventory of three communal conservation reserves. This report is based on three visits to the region in April 2019 and November 2023. We conducted collective visual searches at five main survey sites recording 35 species of land snails based on morphological examinations. We collected 186 sample vouchers that are deposited in the malacological collection of the Australian Museum as resource for on-going taxonomic research aimed at an enhanced documentation of the land snail fauna of Malaita. Considering an inevitable sampling bias, we conclude that the land snail faunas of all three conservation sites are rather similar and that collectively the three reserves contain a representative fraction of the overall land snail diversity in central Malaita. Therefore, the reserves fulfil their intended role of preserving Malaita’s land snail species for the future.
The tree-kangaroos (genus Dendrolagus) are specialized arboreal macropodids now confined to the rainforests of New Guinea and northeastern Queensland, Australia. Within New Guinean Dendrolagus, a distinct Doria’s group has been recognized since 1936. However, establishing the species limits and inter-relationships within the group has long been hampered by limited sampling. In this study we supplement published genetic data from high quality tissue samples with molecular data generated from museum specimens to improve taxon sampling and geographic coverage within the Doria’s group to enhance our understanding of their evolutionary history. This included the addition of the previously unsampled D. mayri (holotype and only known specimen) and additional specimens of D. dorianus and D. notatus. DNA sequence data were generated from three mitochondrial loci and six distinct Doria’s group lineages were identified: D. dorianus, D. notatus, D. stellarum, D. scottae, D. cf. stellarum and D. mayri. Phylogenetic analysis improved the resolution of relationships within the Doria’s group, with D. dorianus being recovered as the sister to all other taxa. Surprisingly, D. mayri and D. cf. stellarum were monophyletic and formed a sister group to the three other species (D. notatus, D. stellarum and D. scottae). This indicates that the molecular affinities of D. cf. stellarum, from the Sudirman Range, Central Cordillera, lie with D. mayri (isolated on the Wondiwoi Peninsula to the west) rather than true D. stellarum from the Star Mountains further east along the Central Cordillera. The molecular divergence between D. cf. stellarum and D. mayri (3.8% sequence divergence) is less than that reported between other Dendrolagus species (> 4.7%). Therefore, D. cf. stellarum is best regarded as a differentiated population of D. mayri and should be referred to as D. cf. mayri pending further studies. This finding means that D. stellarum (sensu stricto) does not occur on the Maokop (Central Cordillera mountains east of the Baliem Valley, West Papua).
Many bandicoot species occur in New Guinea and surrounding islands. Here, a new species of Peroryctes is described from the West Baliem River Valley, western New Guinea (Papua Province, Indonesia). Morphometric analyses, qualitative morphological examination, and formal morphological phylogenetic assessment clearly distinguish this new taxon from the two currently recognized species of Peroryctes, P. raffrayanus and P. broadbentii. Our attempt to recover molecular data for this new taxon recovered poor quality sequences insufficient for analysis. Little is yet known about the basic biology of this new species, but it is rare and may be threatened.
A new genus of gliding marsupial (Hemibelideinae; Pseudocheiridae) is proposed for several possums previously known only as fossils: ‘Petauroides’ ayamaruensis Aplin, 1999 (Quaternary of the Vogelkop Peninsula of western New Guinea), Pseudocheirus stirtoni Turnbull and Lundelius, 1970 (Pliocene of Victoria and New South Wales), and an unallocated species from the Middle Pleistocene of Queensland. The type species (ayamaruensis) is based on early Holocene archaeological material from the Vogelkop, mainly lower jaws and teeth, and was presumed to have been extinct for around 6,000 years. However, here we describe living individuals of ayamaruensis, thus a ‘Lazarus species’ (‘rediscovered’ after considered to be extinct), from several locations in the West Papuan region, as well as abundant archaeological material from ca. 1,000 km to the east in Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea. The Sandaun material provides the first upper dentition known for this species. ‘Petauroides’ ayamaruensis is restricted to the Vogelkop and North Coast Ranges, and is the only hemibelideine known from New Guinea. Observations of modern animals representing ayamaruensis help to cement its status as an extremely distinctive marsupial, and access to its full dentition clarifies its relationship to fossil and living Australian possums. This newly described genus is present in the Australian Pliocene and Pleistocene fossil record, and its living relatives are the Greater gliders (Petauroides spp.) and the Lemuroid ringtail (Hemibelideus lemuroides) of eastern Australia. Traditional landowners from Maybrat Regency in the Vogelkop are familiar with ayamaruensis and relate that it roosts in tree hollows in the tallest and most commercially valuable timber trees of the lowland rainforest, and that a pair produces only a single young per year. It may also still survive in the Mamberamo Basin of western New Guinea and the Torricelli Mountains of Papua New Guinea. It is gravely threatened by logging and forest conversion, both of which continue to expand in West Papua and Papua New Guinea.
The New Guinea Big-eared Bat Pharotis imogene is one of the region’s least known mammals, with prior confirmed records from only two localities, both in Central Province, Papua New Guinea. We report the recent capture of a Pharotis imogene from Kuriva Forestry Station, approximately 50 km north of Port Moresby, extending the species’ known range more than 130 km northwest of its previous limit. We describe and illustrate the new specimen and its habitat and provide the first description of this species’ echolocation call.
The Pygmy Long-fingered Possum, Dactylonax kambuayai, is the smallest of the striped possums (the petaurid subfamily Dactylopsilinae). It is a ‘Lazarus species’, found living when previously known only from fossils. Recently collected museum specimens, and observations and photographs of living individuals, correspond taxonomically to the only previously reported specimens of D. kambuayai, which are fossil remains from a nearby Holocene location, all occurring in low- to mid-elevation rainforests on the Vogelkop Peninsula of New Guinea. Together with the recent discovery of another Lazarus possum, ‘Petauroides’ ayamaruensis, they represent the only marsupials known as modern animals only from low elevations (below 1000 m) on the Vogelkop Peninsula. Both of these species are diminutive species with enigmatic natural histories. In reviewing the systematics of this species, we demonstrate the distinctness of Dactylonax as a genus-level taxon, and clarify species boundaries in this genus. Dactylonax palpator, the type species of Dactylonax, was previously considered to be a widespread montane taxon, but is recognized here as two separate species: D. palpator is restricted to the Arfak Mountains of the Vogelkop, while D. ernstmayri is widely distributed on the New Guinean Central Cordillera and the Huon Peninsula at elevations above 800 m. Dactylonax palpator replaces, or co-occurs with, D. kambuayai at elevations between around 900 m and 1,400 m on the Vogelkop. We hypothesize that colonization of montane habitats on the Vogelkop by a D. kambuayai-like ancestor gave rise to the larger bodied D. palpator, and dispersal of this lineage to montane habitats in the Central Cordillera gave rise to the highly specialized D. ernstmayri. The fact that the montane taxon of the Vogelkop Dactylonax species couplet was able to migrate eastwards, while the lowland taxon was not, suggests that an unusual elevational zoogeographic filter was in play. We observe that D. kambuayai is thus far recorded from sites where the other small petaurid of New Guinea, Petaurus papuanus, is not recorded or is uncommon.
. A review of the geology, palaeontology, genetic, and morphology studies indicates that during the mid-Miocene to Pliocene, New Guinea consisted of four island Blocks (Uogelkop, Maokop, Central, and Southeastern). The initial dispersal of marsupials from Australia was into the Uogelkop Block. The and three species (Dendrolagus inustus, Dendrolagus ursinus, Dorcopsis muelleri) of endemic New Guinean marsupials are likely to have reached New Guinea via this route. The Dendrolagus dorianus complex and two marsupial genera (Dactylopsila and Phalanger) may have reached New Guinea via the Maokop Block, with Thylogale arriving either via the Maokop or Southeastern Block. Four species, or species complexes, of marsupials in the genera Dendrolagus, Dorcopsis, Murexia, and Peroryctes may have arrived via the Southeastern Block. The Central Block lacks evidence of Tertiary marsupial transfers from Australia, and may not have been connected with Australia prior to its incorporation into New Guinea. Two possum taxa (Tous ayamaruensis and Dactylonax kambuayai), which occur in the Uogelkop lowlands, are hypothesized to have been restricted from expansion into the slopes of the Central Cordillera by a combination of tectonics and ecological barriers. A further two species pairs/triplets (Dactylonax palpator/ernstmayri, Pseudochirops albertisii/coronatus/cupreus) provide evidence of a highly unusual pattern of dispersal within New Guinea, whereby the high-elevation members of each pair have dispersed and speciated, while the mid-elevation members have not. Finally, marsupial distributions indicate that in the early Pleistocene a contiguous mountain range, named here the Northern Cordillera, extended from Uogelkop to the Torricelli Mountains.
[Excerpt] Georg Hermann Wilhelm Stein was born in Zittendorf, Germany on 7 April 1897. He became a secondary school teacher who was self-educated in natural history. In 1930, employed by the Botanical Museum in Berlin, he travelled to the Dutch East Indies from 1931–1932. During the expedition he was accompanied by his wife Clara for whom he later named the bandicoot Echymipera clara. The highlight of his expedition was an ascent of the Weyland Range in western New Guinea, where he collected at least two mammal species, Microperoryctes murinus and Macruromys elegans, that have not been sighted before or since. The diaries of his expedition were lost during the Second World War (National Herbarium, Netherlands, no date), making the published account, translated into English here for the first time, a valuable chronicle (Stein, 1933).
The MacDonnell Ranges bioregion in the southern Northern Territory is a centre of land snail endemism in arid Australia, and a high proportion of species are listed as threatened under Northern Territory legislation. We sought to locate extant populations of two endemic and threatened land snails, each known only from a single location. We recorded the first live individuals of Tateropa aemula (Charopidae, Stylommatophora) at Penny Springs in Watarrka National Park since the type material was collected 131 years ago. We did not detect this species at other spring sites in this national park. We also located Divellomelon hillieri (Camaenidae, Stylommatophora) alive at one of two sites where it was previously recorded in Palm Valley, Finke Gorge National Park. The total area of occupancy at this site was ~0.6 hectares. Excluding wildfire from the habitat of both species through strategic fire breaks is a high priority, as well as removal of invasive buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) at the D. hillieri site. We recommend that an updated conservation assessment is undertaken for T. aemula based on current knowledge of its distribution and threats. Further targeted survey should be undertaken for D. hillieri before undertaking a revised conservation assessment. We also report on other land snail species recorded during our surveys at both national parks.
The Neonini is a tribe of small (1–5 mm) jumping spiders found in the Holarctic, East Asia and Australasia. They are very common in Australia where they make up the smallest sized salticids in the litter fauna. A new genus of neonine jumping spiders is described from the wetter parts of south-eastern Australia. Australoneon n. gen. is very common and includes five new species, namely, Australoneon christineae n. sp., A. keyserlingi n. sp., A, kochi n. sp., A. wanlessi n. sp., and A. zabkai n. sp. Neon taylori Richardson 2013 is also transferred to the new genus as Australoneon taylori n. comb. All species are found in litter or moss and with a strong preference for nothofagus forest.
Four new species of the euophryine jumping spider genus Cytaea Keyserling, 1882 (Araneae: Salticidae) are described from Australia and New Guinea: C. arche sp. nov. (♀), C. aoide sp. nov. (♀), C. melete sp. nov. (♀), and C. telksinoe sp. nov. (♀). Diagnostic illustrations, photographs, and measurements are provided for all species. The discovery of these taxa contributes to a better understanding of the species diversity and distribution of the genus Cytaea in the Australasian region.
Recent phylogenetic analyses have shown consistent evidences that the composition of some Stephanopinae genera, as well as their distribution, were wrongly assigned throughout the 20th century. Inaccurate descriptions and vague diagnoses resulted in groups that are actually formed by multiple genera, which were repeatedly recovered as polyphylies. The present work is part of a long-term morphological study that aims to better understand and delineate the taxonomic boundaries of the Australian stephanopines. Hereinafter, we present a new combination for a group of spiders hitherto considered as part of Sidymella Strand, 1942, officially elevating it to a generic rank and highlighting its diagnostic features. The genus Spinaarachne gen.nov. is proposed not only to comprise the new species S. aculeata sp. nov. and S. pilosa sp. nov. but also to accommodate the transference of S. hirsuta (L. Koch, 1874) comb. nov. Brief notes regarding the plausible reasons of why S. hirsuta comb. nov. was previously attributed to a Neotropical genus are presented, and new distribution records are also provided.
We provide a systematic account of the family Polynoidae (Annelida) from deep waters (> 1000 m) around Australia. Specimens were collected during surveys to the Great Australian Bight (2013–2017), east coast of Australia (2017), and southern seamounts off Tasmania (1997–2018). The taxonomic account includes 21 species from 12 genera, with accepted or provisional names, and we further describe nine new species. New species from four subfamilies described here include Arctonoinae: Parahololepidella mensa sp. nov.; Lepidastheniinae: Anotochaetonoe rubermaculata sp. nov.; Macellicephalinae: Bruunilla magnantennata sp. nov., Bruunilla posteroantennata sp. nov., and Polaruschakov investigatoris sp. nov.; Polynoinae: Eunoe albacauda sp. nov., Eunoe apicolata sp. nov., Eunoe benhami sp. nov., and Eunoe danmurrayi sp. nov. An additional 11 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) are represented by incomplete material. One species is given a new status: Eunoe abyssorum McIntosh, 1885 nomen dubium. One species previously placed in Bathyedithia Pettibone, 1976 is given a new combination as Polaruschakov retierei (Bonifácio & Menot, 2018) comb. nov. Two species formerly placed in Lagisca Malmgren, 1865 are new combinations as Harmothoe longipalpa Kirkegaard, 1995 comb. nov. and Harmothoe torbeni (Kirkegaard, 1995) comb. nov. Polyeunoa monroi Averincev, 1978 is recognised as a valid species distinct from Parapolyeunoa flynni (Benham, 1921), rather than a synonym of that species as previously suggested. We provide a phylogenetic analysis based on COI, 16S, 18S and 28S gene fragments placing our new taxa within the family Polynoidae. Molecular results support three monophyletic subfamilies Admetellinae, Macellicephalinae, and Polynoinae. This study provides the first comprehensive review of deep-water polynoids from Australia.
The subfamily Agaristinae from Australia comprise a small group of largely diurnal and brightly coloured moths, but their phylogenetic relationships are largely unknown. Cladistic analysis of nearly all extant genera (20 out of 21, or 95%) and most described species (38 out of 45, or 84%) based on 39 male genitalic and adult morphological characters revealed several incongruencies with the current generic classification. Strict consensus and 50% majority rule analyses confirmed monophyly of the subfamily. The monotypic genus Cremnophora Hampson, 1901 (type species: Apina angasii Walker, 1855, a junior synonym and secondary homonym of Agrista [sic] angasii Angas, 1847) is excluded from the Agaristinae because the morphology of the male genitalia suggest it probably belongs in the Amphipyrinae. Except for a few species-groups, deep level relationships among most clades were largely unresolved. Most genera were monophyletic, but Zalissa Walker, 1865, Leucogonia Hampson, 1908, Argyrolepidia Hampson, 1901 and Idalima Turner, 1903 were all non-monophyletic. Sister-group relationships were recovered between the monotypic genera Apina Walker, 1855 and Agaristodes Hampson, 1908, and between Phalaenoides Lewin, 1805 and Comocrus Jordan, 1896. Morphological and other evidence suggest each of these pairs are congeneric; thus, we propose the following new combinations following synonymy of Agaristodes syn. nov. with Apina and Comocrus syn. nov. with Phalaenoides: Apina feisthamelii (Herrich-Schäffer, [1853]) comb. nov. and Phalaenoides behri (Angas, 1847) comb. nov. Idalima (type species: Agarista affinis Boisduval, 1832) emerged as polyphyletic, with Idalima affinis (Boisduval, 1832) and Idalima metasticta Hampson, 1910 showing a closer relationship to Periscepta Turner, 1920 than to Idalima aethrias (Turner, 1908) or Idalima leonora (Doubleday, 1846). Thus, we synonymise Periscepta syn. nov. with Idalima and transfer Periscepta polysticta (Butler, 1875) and Periscepta butleri (Swinhoe, 1892) to this genus, resulting in the following new combinations: Idalima polysticta (Butler, 1875) comb. nov. and Idalima butleri (Swinhoe, 1892) comb. nov. A revised checklist of the Australian fauna is presented, including nomenclature for all valid subspecies.
The blue coral-worm Spirobranchus kraussii (Baird, 1864) (Annelida: Serpulidae) was originally described from South Africa and reported as a widely distributed Indo-Pacific species, however it is now recognized as a complex of regionally distributed species. Molecular studies led to the description of taxa within the monophyletic S. kraussii complex including S. lirianeae Brandão & Brasil, 2020 (Brazil), S. sinuspersicus Pazoki, Rahimian, Struck, Katouzian & Kupriyanova, 2020 (Arabian (Persian) Gulf), S. akitsushima Nishi, Abe, Tanaka, Jimi & Kupriyanova, 2022 (Japan), S. bakau Sivananthan, Shantti, Kupriyanova, Quek, Yap & Teo, 2021 (Singapore), and S. manilensis Sivananthan, Sivalingam, Kupriyanova, Quek, Yap & Teo, 2022 (Philippines). Spirobranchus kraussii was reported (as Pomatoleios kraussii) as an intertidal belt-forming species from mid-20th century in Queensland, Australia. Here, this species was described as Spirobranchus straughanae sp. nov. as a result of the analysis of historic specimens from the Australian Museum and newly obtained DNA sequences of cytb and 18S. Phylogenetic analyses revealed seven well-supported clades within the complex and S. straughanae sp. nov. was recovered as sister group to S. lirianeae. Genetic distances between S. straughanae sp. nov. and other species ranged from 12.8% to 25.6% (p-distance) and 17.3% to 46.6% (Kimura 2-parameter), reinforcing its status as a distinct species. Morphologically, S. straughanae sp. nov. differs from congeners in the complex by opercular characteristics, tube morphology, and glandular distribution. The talon can be used to differentiate taxa, but its structure varies significantly. Peduncular wing patterns and chaetal morphology further distinguish species within the complex. The findings underscore the importance of integrative approaches to resolution of species boundaries in the S. kraussii complex.
Marked species composition changes are observed between shallow-water (0–200 m) temperate and tropical fauna, however, this transition is not well documented in deep-water fauna (> 200 m). Along the east coast of Australia there is an apparent biogeographic tropical to temperate transition between 30–40°S for bathyal and abyssal fauna. This has been recorded for brittle stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) and certain benthic megafauna taxa combined but not tested for other taxa individually or tested with genetic data. During the 2017 RV Investigator expedition, a series of beam trawl and epibenthic sledge samples were taken from 13 sites along a south to north latitudinal transect along the east coast of Australia, from Freycinet Marine Park, 42°S, to Coral Sea Marine Park, 24°S, from 1,000 to 4,800 m depth. Three of the most abundant segmented worms (Annelida: Polychaeta) species, Melinnopsis gardelli, Melinnopsis chadwicki (Melinnidae) and Jugamphicteis galatheae (Ampharetidae) were picked out and morphologically identified, and the COI genetic marker was sequenced for 88 specimens. Melinnopsis gardelli was recorded across the biogeographical break from 42°S to 24°S. An AMOVA for the north and south populations revealed significant evidence of populations structuring. The other two species, Melinnopsis chadwicki and J. galatheae, were recovered from north and south respectively of the biogeographic break. One haplotype of M. gardelli was shared between two sampling locations south of the break, Jervis Marine Park and Freycinet Marine Park (distance 735 km), similarly, haplotypes were shared for M. chadwicki between locations 726 km apart and J. galatheae 950 km apart. We found genetic evidence of a break occurring at 28–35°S dividing M. gardelli populations in the north and south, additionally our data appeared to show a third central population for M. gardelli. However, the break was not strongly defined as M. gardelli was found to bridge across the transition. Our results indicated deep-sea annelid populations are well connected along sections of the eastern Australian margin, suggesting the designated deep-water Marine Parks function as an important network for these organisms.
The fly genus Atlatlia Bickel, 1986 (Diptera: Dolichopodidae: Medeterinae) is revised with additional new recent and fossil species, and now comprises two major species groups. The Atlatlia grisea group includes three recent species from Australia, A. grisea Bickel, 1986; A. flaviseta Bickel, 1986; and A. isolata sp. nov., three recent species from New Caledonia, A. acra sp. nov., A. argenticoxa sp. nov., and A. cowanae sp. nov., and three species from Baltic amber, A. corynoura, sp. nov., A. electrica sp. nov., and A. licina, sp. nov. The Atlatlia ulrichi group includes six species from Baltic amber, A. angulicauda sp. nov., A. cryptica sp. nov., A. penicillata sp. nov., A. ramosa sp. nov., A. tonsa, sp. nov., and A. ulrichi sp. nov. The genus Kashubia gen. nov., is described from Baltic amber with three species: K. falcata, sp. nov., K. ornatipes sp. nov., and K. starki sp. nov. The genus Eridanomyia gen. nov. is described from Baltic amber with two species, E. amica sp. nov. and E. conjugalis sp. nov. Four of the newly described Baltic amber species also occur in Bitterfeld amber, suggesting their overall faunal similarity. The striking disjunction of the genus Atlatlia in both time and space, recent Australia and New Caledonia and Paleogene Baltic amber, suggests a once much wider distribution, possibly during Eocene “greenhouse earth” climatic conditions, with subsequent extinction leaving only a relict fauna in Australasia. With geological evidence suggesting New Caledonia was largely submerged in the early Paleogene and only emergent in the late Eocene, the New Caledonian Atlatlia fauna possibly originated by dispersal from Australia in the early to mid-Cenozoic.
