Austronomus, known as Australasian free-tailed bats,[1] is a molossid genus of microchiropterans. The two recognised species are the white-striped Austronomus australis, found in a wide distribution range across Australia, and the New Guinea species Austronomus kuboriensis.[2]

Austronomus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Molossidae
Genus: Austronomus
Troughton, 1944

The genus name was first proposed by Tom Iredale and Ellis Troughton in 1934, but this lacked a formal description until Troughton included one in his Furred animals of Australia (1944). The type species of the genus is Molossus australis Gray, 1838.

Austronomus has previously been considered a synonym of Tadarida, a widespread genus of freetail bats. However, morphological evidence suggests that this broad concept of Tadarida is not monophyletic.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Murray Wrobel: Elsevier's Dictionary of Mammals. Elsevier 2006, ISBN 978-0-444-51877-4.
  2. ^ "Genus Austronomus Troughton, 1941". Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Government. December 2018.
  3. ^ Gregorin, Renato; Cirranello, Andrea (April 1, 2015). "Phylogeny of Molossidae Gervais (Mammalia: Chiroptera) inferred by morphological data". Cladistics. 32 (1): 2–35. doi:10.1111/cla.12117. PMID 34732020.