124 



THE OCCURRENCE OF GIGANTIC MARSUPIALS 

 IN TASMANIA. 



By Fritz Noetling, M.A., Ph.D. 



(Read November 14, 1911.) 



It had hitherto been generally believed that the 

 gigantic marsupials were restricted to the continent 

 of Australia, and did not occur in Tasmania. Jack and 

 Etheridge (1) mention their wide distribution on the con- 

 tinent, and Professor Stirling (2) is of the opinion "that 

 this great marsupial appears to have had an immense range, 

 and to have probably wandered over the whole Continent 

 of Australia." R. M. Johnston (3), who is better acquainted 

 with the geology of Tasmania than anybody else, states 

 that "in Tasmania no remains of the extinct marsupials, 

 such as Diprotodon, Nototherium, and Thylacoleo, have as. 

 yet been found either in the ossiferous cavern breccias or in 

 the older alluvial beds." 



It seems rather strange that nobody took the view that 

 remains of such animals ought also to occur in Tasmania. 

 Howitt (4) had already, in 1898, expressed the opinion that 

 Tasmania was connected with the mainland in geologically 

 recent times, and Hediey (5), in 1903, holds the same view. 

 Jack and Etheridge had. in 1892, .shown that Diprotodon 

 existed in Queensland in post-pliocene times, and as. 

 according to all writers, this animal roamed all over the 

 continent, it would appear very remarkable that it should 

 have avoided the south-east corner of Australia, viz., Ta.s- 

 mania, when during that time the present island formed 

 still a part of the continent. 



(1) Geology and Paljeontology of Queensland and Now Guinea, 1892, 

 page 668. 



(2) Fossil remains of Lalte C^allabona. Mem. Kov. Soc. Houth Auet., 

 1900, Vol. I., Pt. II. 



<3) (Jeology of Tasmania, page 325. 



(4) On tlie Origin of tlie A>)origlnes of Ta.sninnia and Australia. Re- 

 )iort on tlie seventli meeting of tlie Australasian Association for tlie- 

 Advancement of .Science. Sydney, 1898, page 723-758. 



(5i Tlie effect of tlie Bassian Isthmus upon tlie existing marine- 

 fauna. A study In ancient geography. Proceed. Linn. Soc. of N.S.W.,. 

 1903, Pt. IV., Pag. 876-883. 



