First Australian Pliocene species of Hipposideros (Microchiroptera: Hipposideridae)

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 9 years ago

Abstract: A new Australian Pliocene hipposiderid is described on the basis of maxillary fragments representing at least four individuals recovered from Rackham's Roost Site, Riversleigh World Heritage property, Lawn Hill National Park, northwestern Queensland. Hipposideros winsburyorum sp. nov. is distinguished from all other Hipposideros species (and all other hipposiderids) by its very large, round infraorbital foramen. Dentally, it shares most similarities with members of the diverse and widespread Hipposideros bicolor group of Hill (1963) as well as Hipposideros megalotis of East Africa and the extinct H. (Syndesmotis) vetus lineage from the middle Miocene of Morocco and Pliocene of France.