“Procoptodon” browneorum
“Procoptodon” browneorum is a species of short-faced kangaroo of subfamily Sthenurinae. It was initially called Sthenurus brownei by its descriptor, Duncan Merrilees, in 1968. However, the name of this species and the genus it belongs in has since been changed, as our understanding of its evolutionary relationships has improved. When talking about this species, the name of the genus is put in inverted commas to show that it probably belongs to a genus that has not been described yet.
Fossils of “P.” browneorum show that it mainly lived along the southern and southwestern coast of Australia during the Pleistocene, and was rare in the east. Its foot bones tell us it was adapted to moving through open, semi-arid environments, and its skull musculature and teeth show that it had a tough diet of twigs and shrubby foliage.
Specimen number: WAM 63.2.198
Skeletal element: cranium
Geological age: Pleistocene
Locality/site: Mammoth Cave
State/territory: Western Australia
