44 
D.J. Kitchener, I. Maryanto 
Paratypes 
All collected at Lorulun; all alcoholic specimens, 
except Western Australian Museum No. (WAM) 
M43821, which is a skull and cabinet skin; all adult, 
except WAM M43823 which is a subadult. 
WAM (M43621-22, M43821), 42$; WAM 
(M43746, M43820, M43823) 3d d. 
Diagnosis 
Melomys coopeme is diagnosed from all other spe¬ 
cies of Melomys by its large last upper molar (M 3 ) 
and combination of very long tail, long incisive fo¬ 
ramen and distinctive white cheeks. 
Description 
Measurements of skull, dentition and externals 
are presented in Table 1. 
Skull (Figure 1) 
Skull of moderate size: greatest skull length 36.7 
(36.0-38.0) and zygomatic width 18.2 (17.2-18.9), 
with a relatively narrow and short rostrum. Skull 
dorsal profile gently curved from nasal distal tip to 
parietal mid point when it curves more sharply 
downward to external occipital crest; interparietal 
wide 9.8 (9.1-10.5); parietal moderately inflated; 
frontal posterior part very slightly inflated but 
anteriorly forms a slight median sulcus that reaches 
Table 1 Measurements (in mm) of the skull, dentition, and externals and weight (g) of Melomys cooperae sp. nov. holotype 
and paratypes and M. leucogaster latipes. 
CHARACTER M.l. latipes M.l.latipes 
Museum number 
Holotype 
MZB15902 
WAM 
43621 
WAM 
43622 
WAM* 
43821 
WAM 
43746 
WAM 
43820 
WAM 
43823 
* 
AM13781 
AM13815 
Age/Sex 
A$ 
A2 
A? 
A? 
Ad 
a6 
SAd 
A$ 
Ad 
Greatest skull length 
36.20 
_ 
_ 
36.48 
36.03 
38.02 
34.83 
- 
36.99 
Condyloincisor length 
32.95 
33.86 
- 
33.97 
32.84 
35.04 
31.29 
- 
36.83 
Zygomatic width 
18.31 
18.49 
17.17 
18.72 
17.91 
18.86 
17.23 
~ 
21.17 
Interorbital breadth 
5.66 
5.81 
5.68 
5.98 
5.70 
5.61 
5.29 
6.79 
6.73 
Interparietal breadth 
10.51 
9.11 
- 
9.63 
9.99 
9.85 
10.01 
- 
10.43 
Braincase breadth 
14.87 
14.78 
15.27 
15.02 
14.97 
14.74 
14.86 
15.21 
15.55 
Mastoid width 
12.57 
12.43 
- 
12.81 
12.83 
13.06 
12.42 
- 
14.38 
Nasal length 
12.80 
- 
11.35 
11.82 
11.87 
13.08 
12.31 
11.65 
11.58 
Nasal breadth 
4.31 
4.50 
3.97 
4.77 
4.28 
4.59 
4.60 
4.23 
4.15 
Zygomatic plate breadth 
4.76 
4.83 
4.27 
5.22 
4.85 
5.08 
4.71 
4.79 
5.28 
Diastema length 
8.68 
9.67 
8.93 
10.10 
9.07 
10.06 
8.88 
10.62 
11.12 
Height muzzle (behind 
ant. pal. for.) 
9.53 
9.41 
8.72 
9.27 
9.01 
9.34 
8.67 
9.73 
9.74 
Palatal length 
17.28 
18.02 
17.24 
18.36 
17.64 
18.81 
16.92 
19.04 
19.60 
Ant. palatal foramen length 
4.70 
5.98 
5.53 
5.74 
5.58 
6.18 
5.12 
5.29 
5.44 
Ant. palatal foramen breadth 
2.29 
2.26 
2.17 
2.28 
2.46 
2.29 
2.26 
2.44 
2.76 
Mesopterygoid fossa breadth 
3.06 
2.93 
2.60 
3.10 
2.98 
3.09 
3.15 
3.14 
3.20 
M'-M* breadth (inside) 
2.99 
3.24 
2.84 
3.42 
3.03 
3.34 
2.89 
3.46 
3.91 
Bulla length 
5.06 
5.34 
- 
5.52 
5.05 
5.17 
4.97 
4.92 
4.69 
M'-M 3 crown length 
6.87 
6.82 
6.46 
6.31 
6.73 
6.58 
6.52 
6.86 
6.72 
M'-M 3 alveoli length 
7.08 
7.10 
6.61 
6.64 
7.00 
6.99 
6.68 
7.04 
6.95 
M 1 crown length 
3.79 
3.33 
3.69 
3.42 
3.57 
3.25 
3.58 
3.65 
3.35 
M' crown breadth 
2.00 
2.02 
1.84 
2.01 
2.02 
1.84 
2.12 
2.13 
2.01 
M 2 crown length 
2.53 
2.40 
2.17 
2.55 
2.51 
2.50 
2.50 
2.79 
2.57 
M 2 crown breadth 
1.94 
2.02 
2.01 
1.99 
2.03 
1.80 
2.04 
2.10 
1.99 
M 3 crown length 
1.39 
1.64 
1.61 
1.50 
1.52 
1.60 
1.53 
1.57 
1.78 
M 3 crown breath 
1.44 
1.42 
1.44 
1.46 
1.38 
1.37 
1.41 
1.52 
1.43 
Dentary length 
21.42 
20.73 
19.16 
20.59 
20.17 
21.46 
19.60 
22.64 
23.91 
M 1 M 1 (crown) length 
7.02 
6.69 
6.46 
6.54 
6.49 
6.46 
6.53 
7.28 
6.84 
Snout to vent length 
128.0 
135.7 
118.1 
137.0+ 
131.6 
139.5 
112.7 
150.0* 
160.0* 
Tail to vent length 
154.5 
170.0 
139.7 
155.0+ 
142.0 
158.4 
140.5 
151.0* 
- 
Ear length (from basal notch) 
17.2 
18.4 
16.9 
18.5+ 
16.3 
19.7 
16.6 
17.0* 
15.9* 
Pes length (without claw) 
27.0 
25.8 
24.8 
25.3+ 
27.7 
28.1 
26.8 
29.7* 
31.0* 
Pes breadth at base of digit V 
8.2 
7.7 
7.4 
5.6+ 
7.8 
8.4 
7.6 
7.3 
7.7 
Tibia length 
34.4 
37.3 
33.5 
- 
36.5 
40.1 
34.0 
- 
- 
Weight (gm) 
65.0 
81.0 
64.5 
72.0 
80.0 
96.5 
60.0 
122* 
146* 
Scale No./cm 
12 
12 
14 
- 
12.5 
11.5 
14 
* Skin and skull 
+ From recently killed animal 
