The Vombatiformes are one of the three suborders of the large marsupial order Diprotodontia.
Seven of the nine known families within this suborder are extinct; only the families Phascolarctidae, with the koala, and Vombatidae, with three extant species of wombat, survive.
Among the extinct families are the Diprotodontidae, which includes Diprotodon, believed by many to be the inspiration for the bunyip.
"Vombatiformes" is neo-Latin for "wombat-shaped things", and took its name from its type family.
The suborder Vombatiformes, with its closely related members and their compact body form, contrasts with the other two diprotodont suborders, the Macropodiformes: kangaroos, wallabies, and the quokka; and the Phalangeriformes: possums, including the gliders such as the wrist-winged gliders.
The koala and wombats are believed by many biologists to share a common ancestor and to have diverged only recently in the Cenozoic.
In June 2020, Mukupirna nambensis, within its own family Mukupirnidae, was declared by scientists after studying fossils originally discovered in Lake Eyre in 1973, and rediscovered in a drawer in the American Natural History Museum in New York around 2010.
The study revealed that the fossil represented the closest fossil relative of the wombat family, meaning that they all evolved from a common ancestor.
Mukupirna means "big bones" in the Diyari and Malyangapa languages of the area where it was found.
Classification
Suborder Vombatiformes
Family Vombatidae: wombats (three modern species)
Genus †Rhizophascolonus
Genus Vombatus
Genus †Phascolonus
Genus †Warendja
Genus †Ramasayia
Genus Lasiorhinus
Family Phascolarctidae: koala (one modern species)
Genus †Perikoala
Genus †Madakoala
Genus †Koobor
Genus †Litokoala
Genus †Nimiokoala
Genus Phascolarctos
Family †Ilariidae
genus †Nimbadon
Genus †Koalemas
Genus †Kuterintja
Genus †Ilaria
Family †Maradidae
Genus †Marada BLACK, K., March 2007.
Maradidae: a new family of vombatomorphian marsupial from the late Oligocene of Riversleigh, northwestern Queensland.
Alcheringa 31, 17-32.
Family †Mukupirnidae
Genus †Mukupirna nambensis
Family †Thylacoleonidae: (marsupial lions)
Genus †Thylacoleo
Genus †Priscileo
Genus †Wakaleo
Family †Wynyardiidae
Genus †Wynyardia
Genus †Muramura
Genus †Namilamadeta
Superfamily Diprotodontoidea
Family †Diprotodontidae: (giant wombats)
Genus †Alkwertatherium
Genus †Bematherium
Genus †Pyramios
Genus †Nototherium
Genus †Meniscolophus
Genus †Euryzygoma
Genus †Diprotodon
Genus †Euowenia
Genus †Sthenomerus
Subfamily †Zygomaturinae
Genus †Silvabestius
Genus †Neohelos
Genus †Raemeotherium
Genus †Plaisiodon
Genus †Zygomaturus
Genus †Kolopsis
Genus †Kolopsoides
Genus †Hulitherium
Genus †Maokopia
Family †Palorchestidae: (marsupial tapirs)
Genus †Palorchestes
Genus †Propalorchestes
Genus †Ngapakaldia
Genus †Pitikantia
References
