Encyclopedia > Vombatiformes
Vombatiformes
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Subclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Suborder: Vombatiformes
Families
Phascolarctidae
Vombatidae
Vombatiformes is one of the two suborders of the large marsupial order Diprotodontia. Five of the seven known families within this suborder are extinct; only the families Phascolarctidae, with the koala, and Vombatidae, with three extant species of wombat, survive.
Among the extinct families are Diprotodontidae, which includes the diprotodon, believed by many to be the inspiration for the bunyip. Vombatiformes is Latin for "wombat-shaped things", and took its name from its type family.
The suborder Vombatiformes, with its closely related members and their compact body form, contrasts with the only other diprotodont suborder, the large and diverse Phalangerida, including kangaroos, wallabies, quokkas, possums, gliding possum-like marsupials and others. The Koala and wombat are believed by many biologists to share a common ancestor and to have diverged only recently in the Cenozoic.
Categories: Vombatiforms | Diprotodonts
Results from FactBites:
Vombatiformes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (185 words)
Vombatiformes is one of the three suborders of the large marsupial order Diprotodontia.
"Vombatiformes" is neo-Latin for "wombat-shaped things", and took its name from its type family.
The suborder Vombatiformes, with its closely related members and their compact body form, contrasts with the other two diprotodont suborders, the Macropodiformes: kangaroos, wallabies and quokkas; and the Phalangeriformes: possums, including the gliders like the wrist-winged gliders.
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