Protemnodon Parma(waterhouse) and the Classification of Related Wallabies (Protemnodon, Thyloqale, Andsetonix)

SUMMARY The rare and possibly extinct wallaby,Protemnodon parma(Waterhouse), is redescribed and a list is given of all known material; most of which has been examined by the author. Gould's mention of Illawarra, New South Wales, as being the area in which he had observedP. parma, is taken to be a restriction of the type locality. Comparisons are made betweenP. parmaand the speciesP. dorsalis, P. eugeniiandP. billardieriand it is concluded thatP. parmaandP. dorsalisare closely related. Certain apparent structural differences in the teeth are shown to be correlated with difference in skull size. It is concluded that there are three genera of wallabies:Protemnodon, ThylogaleandSetonixand that these genera must be defined on characters other than size of the contained individuals because previous authors, using this criterion, have confused the natural relationships of the forms. Thylogaleis defined in the terms of Gray's original definition;P. parma P. eugeniiandP. billardieriare excluded from this genus. It is suggested thatProtemnodonmay be polyphyletic in that the forms contained therein are merely at a common functional stage in evolution and are therefore not necessarily related. The monotypic genusSetonixis considered, and the possibility that it should be included in Potoroinae is discussed. It is concluded that there is insufficient evidence for such a step to be taken but that the position requires further examination.