Mukupirna fossil map
Where fossils of Mukupirna have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 30 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 30 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 27.3–23.04 million years ago (Chattian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Mukupirnidae |
| Named by | Beck et al. 2020 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Australia |
| Rock formations | Namba |
About Mukupirna
Mukupirna is an extinct genus of marsupials whose fossils have been recovered in Australia and dated to around 25 million years ago during the Oligocene Epoch. It was wombat-like with the main difference being that it was rather huge compared to modern wombats with estimates placing it between 141 and 173 kilograms (311 and 381 lb) in body mass, comparable in size to a male Asiatic black bear. It was probably a great digger and had developed teeth that would have allowed it to feed on sedges, roots and tubers. Mukupirna nambensis had a mix of characteristics between wombats and an extinct group of marsupials called wynyardiids. M. nambensis was coined by Beck et al. (2020) and M. fortidentatus was coined by Crichton et al. (2023).
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Mukupirna (revision 1369381479), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q126127594.
