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Echidna fossils in Australia are unusual and unevenly dispersed throughout time and location. In a brand-new paper released in The Alcheringa, an Australasian Journal of Palaeontologypaleontologists explained a partial skull of the Owen’s huge echidna (Megalibgwilia oweniifrom southeastern Australia. Recuperated around 120 years back from Foul Air Cave in the Buchan Caves Reserve in East Gippsland, the specimen represents the very first validated proof of the extinct types in the state of Victoria, where it had actually formerly been especially missing from the fossil record.
Life restoration of the Owen’s huge echidna (Megalibgwilia owenii. Image credit: Chris Edser.
Explained in information in the 1990s, Megalibgwilia owenii matured to 1 m long and weighed in at 15 kg.
The lack of this types in Victoria had actually stood in contrast to its recognized existence throughout the continent from Western Australia into Tasmania and southern New South Wales.
The newly-described specimen assists deal with that disparity, recommending the types’ variety was more constant than formerly recorded.
The fossil is a fragmentary skull that was discovered not throughout fieldwork, however in Museums Victoria’s Palaeontology Collection.
Dr. Tim Ziegler, collection supervisor of vertebrate paleontology at Museums Victoria Research Institute, very first spotted the specimen in 2021 and utilized historic archives to reveal it had actually been recovered in a 1907 exploration to Foul Air Cave by museum officer and biologist Frank Spry.
“Museum collections maintain the link in between science, heritage and individuals,” Dr. Ziegler stated.
“Over a century earlier, Spry together with researchers and residents examined Buchan’s caverns with bit more than ropes and kerosene lights, and they motivated us to continue their work.”
According to Dr. Ziegler and Deakin University trainee Jeremy Lockett, the discover highlights the significance of reviewing historic collections, which can yield brand-new insights even years after specimens are very first recuperated.
More studies of museum collections and fossil websites will be required to much better comprehend the variety and circulation of ancient echidnas throughout the Quaternary duration.
“Previous research study by Museums Victoria has actually revealed the Buchan Caves maintain an extraordinary record of Australia’s special megafauna, consisting of the short-faced kangaroo Simosthenurus occidentalis and the huge marsupial Palorchestes azael,” Dr. Ziegler stated.
“The next remarkable discovery might originate from inside the museum, from continued fieldwork, or the eager eyes of a resident researcher. I can’t wait to discover.”
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Tim Ziegler & & Jeremy Lockett. The very first Victorian record of Owen’s Giant Echidna Megalibgwilia owenii from Buchan Caves in East Gippsland, Australia. The Alcheringareleased online April 13, 2026; doi: 10.1080/ 03115518.2026.2643598
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