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AUSTRALIAN REGION / NOTOGAEA

In Notogaea three different regions can be clearly recognized.
(1) Firstly Australian region consist of Australia with the islands Tasmania in the
South and New Guinea with neighboring islands in the North.
(2) Secondly the whole of New Zealand.
(3) Thirdly the vast Archipelago of Pacific Ocean.
The islands between the New Guinea and Greater Sunda Island have a mixed fauna
partly Oriental and partly Australian.

GEOGRAPHICAL LIMITS & CLIMATE:-

The northern two-fifths of Australia lie within the tropics, and have a fairly high
temperature during summer rising to over 30°C in the interior. The rest of Australia
shows considerable seasonal difference between summer and winter. The summer
temperature rises to above 30°C, and falls to 10°C in the winter or even below 0°C in
the mountains. The tropical part of continent is rather wet, southeast part is mainly
dry. The northern part of Australia is covered with rain forest. The eastern coast has
evergreen forests, grass steppes, and low bushes also. New Guinea is covered with
dense rain-forests in west and North. In center there are high mountain ranges and
their peaks are usually snow covered. Australia has no very large rivers. New Guinea
on the other hand has very large rivers such as Fly River and the Lorentz River in the
south, Mamberamo and Sepik River in North.
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ZOOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
After the Mesozoic the area underwent a long period of isolation, which persisted
almost whole of the tertiary and until the Pliocene. As a result of this the fauna
exhibits a high grade of distinctiveness and species and very often genera are endemic
in many groups of animals. This often is the case in the higher categories also.
This region is categorized by the absence of certain important groups of vertebrates
such as apes, monkeys, insectivores, carnivores and edentates among mammals,
finches and wood peckers among birds and vipers and typical lizards among reptiles.
It contains very many primitive forms. Marsupials and monotremes are found only in
this region. This region has 134 families of terrestrial vertebrates of which 30 are
peculiar. Of the peculiar families 8 are of mammals, 17 of birds, 3 of reptiles and 2 of
amphibians.
FAUNA:-
MAMMALS:-
There are no placental mammals (Monodelphia), except a few bats and a few peculiar
rats.
The Dingo dog or the wild dog has certainly been brought by early man into Australia.
The New Guinea pig (Sus papuensis) is not indigenous either, and it is related to
European (Sus scrofa).
The rest of mammalian fauna consist of monotremes and marsupials. The latter are the
more numerous and conspicuous and they occupy all the niches in the Australian
region. The place of the Carnivora is taken by the Dasyuridae family, of which
Dasyurus from Australia and New Guinea is well known.
Other members of Dasyuridae are Sarcophilus and Thylacinus from Tasmania.
Thylacinus is called Tasmanian wolf and is the largest carnivorous marsupial. It occurs
in Australia also but became extinct due to competition with Dingo.
The Insectivora are replaced by marsupial anteater Myrmecobius, in southern and
western Australia, and by Notoryctes in southern Australia, which has a subterranean
mode of life and resembles the mole superficially.
The bandicoots are insectivorous or omnivorous genus Perameles is of the rabbit size
and distributed over Australia and New Guinea.
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The Koala (Teddy bear) is arboreal and bear like; it is related to wombat
(Phascolomys). Both are merely restricted to Australia.
Among phalangers are the Australian opossums of sub family Phalangerinae. They are
arboreal and mostly herbivorous. The Phalanger (the cuscus) and Pseudochirus (the
ring-tailed opossum) are slow and clumsy nocturnal animals. Phalanger has the
widest distribution as it reaches from Queensland and New Guinea.
Kangaroos (Dendrolagus) are mainly found which are adapted to arboreal mode of
life. Monotremes are most primitive mammals, are restricted to Australian region
only.
Echidna (Tachyglossus) and spiny anteater occur in Tasmania, Australia and southeast
New Guinea. Proechidna or Zaglossus is restricted to New Guinea.
Ornithorhynchus (duckbilled platypus) lived in rivers of south west Australia and
Tasmania.
It is hard to say when and whence the monotremes and marsupials entered Australia.
Two theories prevail to marsupials in Australia.
1. First is based on the fact that the only other part of the world where marsupials
have flourished and live in South America; hence a connection of Australia and
South America is thought of, either directly through a trans-Pacific land bridge
or with the connecting link of Antarctic continent.
2. The second theory is based on the principle advocated by Matthew, that the
southern isolated continents are inhabited by more primitive animals, which
have been pushed south wards into these “blind alleys” by more progressive
forms. Hence it is supposed that marsupials were once distributed over all the
Northern continents and reached Australia from the North through a land
connection with Asia.
BIRDS:-
The avian fauna is comparatively poor and only 650 species are present where as in
other regions the number of species of birds is very large e.g. in South America 2500
species are present.
Australia and especially its northern part, definitely got part of its birds from New
Guinea, but one-third of the Australian genera are endemic.
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Parrots and pigeons exhibit a great diversity. Among well represented form are
parrots, especially the parakeets, which are not confined to the tropical parts only and
also found in southern region of continent and Tasmania.
The cockatoos are equally characteristic of Australian region; they range from
Australian and Tasmania to New Guinea, and to Lombok and Philippines.
The lories are chiefly Australian. They are also present in Tasmania, New Guinea, the
Moluccas and Celebes.
Among passerine birds, the honey-eaters are characteristic of Australia and New
Guinea. Wood peckers are totally absent from Greater Sunda Island and Moluccas.
Another conspicuous lack in the Australian avifauna is the pheasants and partridges,
except one species of partridges in New Guinea.
The genus Megapodius has widest range of distribution but one of the most important
Australian birds is Emu. This is flightless and its dispersal is checked by sea water.
Several species of this genus occur in Australia and several live formerly in Tasmania.
Their nearest relatives are Cassowaries, which live in New Guinea and neighbouring
islands. The origin of the group is not known.
The Avifauna has characteristic birds in New Guinea. Most conspicuous are the birds
of paradise, which are related to the crow family.
New Guinea is rich in species and genera of pigeons, the crowned-pigeons (Goura)
being the most characteristic one. It has been suggested that abundance of pigeons in
this part is related with the absence of monkeys, which are notorious egg eaters.
Kingfishers are well represented in New Guinea.
REPTILES:-
Among the reptiles all Australian snakes and lizards are of Asiatic origin, geckos and
skinks have been even reached many of the Pacific Islands through drift wood or
floating on some wooden pieces.
The Agamidae family is not easily transported over the sea, for though present in
Africa they have not reached Madagascar. In the east they have spread over whole of
Australia, including Tasmania, but they have not reached New Zealand.
Another very different genus is Moloch from sandy deserts of western and southern
Australia. Its body is covered with large spines.
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The Varanidae with a single genus Varanus have the same distribution as Agamidae.
The pygopodidae of snake-like Lizards, are confined to Australia and neighbouring
islands, Pygopus lives in Australia and Tasmania. None of the typical South American
fauna and especially the family Iguanidae occurs in Australia. All the Australian
Lizards are related to the Asiatic ones, except family Pygopodidae. Hence the Lizard
gives no support to Antarctic connection of Australia.
In Australia the only fresh water tortoises belong to family Chelydidae, represented by
four genera only. All other known recent Chelydidae are South American. South
American genera seem to have spread from south to north. This could be advanced as
the only argument in favour of Antartica connection with South America, which made
the dispersal of Chelydidae possible from Australia to South American by way of
Antarctica.
AMPHIBIANS:-
The amphibian fauna of Australia is of great interest. Among the toads the subfamily
Criniinae are restricted to Australia, New Guinea and Aru Islands. There is no sharp
distinction between them and the South American Pseudinae and their distribution
could be claimed as an argument in favour of Antarctic land bridge.
The genus Bufo has not succeeded in reaching either New Guinea or Australia, or any
of Pacific Islands; it is absent from Madagascar also. This shows that a genus such as
Bufo, the species of which have penetrated into almost every other spot of world, has
been barred in its distribution by sea, and we may conclude that presence of a toad or
a frog on an island is a strong indication with mainland at sometime or other.
The true tree frogs are represented in Australia, New Guinea by large number of
species of genus Hyla. Hylidae are numerous in Neogaea and Notogaea helps to
support the view that the Hylids entered Australia. It is a strange fact that among each
of three well-separated families of Anura there is one genus which almost has
conquered the world. Among Bufonidae it is Bufo, among Ranidae it is Rana and
Hylidae it is Hyla. Hyla is cosmopolitan to Bufo and Rana because, it is absent from
Ethiopian and most of Oriental Regions.
Now the question is did Hyla reach the Australian Region from Asia or via an
Antarctic land bridge from South America? Both views have supporters but there is no
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proof that Hyla ever existed in south-eastern Asia, and there is reason to believe that
Hyla arborea the only species which now lives in Europe and also in Asia, is a late
immigrant from North America.
Ranidae are represented by genus Rana which is also a late invader form there to
north Australia. They are undoubtedly of northern origin and reached here from Asia.
FISHES:-
The fresh water fish fauna of this region is very poor, but yet of the greatest
interest. The dipnoan lungfish Epiceratodus is one of the most remarkable of relicts,
because it is closely related to Ceratodus which lived in the northern continents from
Triassic to Eocene time. Epiceratodus is known from the cretaceous of New South
Wales and Australian Jurassic. Another fresh water fish Scleropages occurs in
Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, New Guinea and Australia. Hence the
Osteoglossidae of the south eastern Asia and Australia suggest a land bridge between
Australia and Asia prior to Eocene because otherwise carps and catfishes such would
have also reached Australia. None of the oriental freshwater fishes such as
Labyrinthici fish have found their way to Australia. Crayfish of family Parastacidae
and freshwater mussels are also present.

LINKS WITH OTHER CONTINENTS

Lydekker thought that the South American family Borhyaenidae (marsupials) and the
Australian Dasyuridae were so closely related that their discontinuous distribution
could be explained only by connection between South America and Australia. He
believed that these carnivorous marsupials migrated from Australia to South America,
and not other way round. Others suppose that marsupials originated in Antarctica, and
spread from there to South America and Australia.
Since Matthew pointed out that most mammalian orders originated in the northern
continents and spread southwards, due to competition of placental mammals. Many
zoogeographers are of the view that Australia received its marsupials from Asia. Up
till now no Asiatic marsupial fossil have been found, but there is some indirect
evidence. Djadochtatherium matthewi, from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia,
belongs to the Multituberculata, and as these are considered to be related to
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diprotodont marsupials, but also to the monotremes, it is possible that the ancestors of
both Australian marsupials and monotremes lived in Asia.
Weber suggests that the primitive Insectivora may have been less active and slower in
their dispersal and hence could not reach Australia. Matthew and Simpson suppose
that the connection between Asia and Australia was not complete one, but consisted of
a row of islands which were lucky enough to reach Australia. However, there is strong
zoogeographical evidence in favour of late Mesozoic connection between Australia
and Asia, which is so clear due to the distribution of osteoglossid (Scleropages) fish.
Hence there must have been a good opportunity for mammals to invade Australia at
that time. The only explanation which can we give is that although marsupials and
insectivores lived together in northern Asia, southern Asia had marsupials only.
The presence of dingo (dog) in Australia and wild pig (Sus scrohpa) in New Guinea is
due to the agency of man. The fauna of New Guinea differs too much from Australia
and zoogeographers generally supposed that this difference arose since post
Pleistocene isolation. So it is probably that connection between Australia and New
Guinea existed in early Tertiary time only allowing the spreading of monotremes,
marsupials and Osteoglossid fishes separation followed, and second connection formed
during Pleistocene. During this period of separation Echidna developed in Australia
and Proechidna (zaglossis) in New Guinea and berceuse the latter live in mountains, it
could not reach Australia. It is most probable that Australia was connected not with
New Guinea at the end of Mesozoic period. Along this route the ancestors of
Sphenodon, Liopelma (frog) and kiwi reached New Zealand. This connection between
Australia and NewZealand broke soon after wards while Australia was still connected
with Asia and got from there its monotremes, marsupials and osteoglossid fishes. The
connection with Asia came to an end before Eocene and otherwise ostaryophyea
would have reached Australia together with osteoglossids.
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SUB REGION NEW ZEALAND:-

The two islands which constitute New Zealand stretch about north-east to south-west,
climate is uniform and mild, but in high mountain of the South Island there are
glaciers and the peaks covered with snow. The mountain ranges are confined to west,
and here the rainfall is greater than in the east. The very poor fauna which originally
inhabited New Zealand is a clear sign of its isolation.
There are no mammals in New Zealand, except an introduced rat and two
insectivorous bats. Bird fauna is also very poor but of great interest, and interesting
bird is kakapo which lives nocturnal life and is almost flightless.
Kiwi of genus (Apteryx) is another interesting bird. The birds show many primitive
characters in addition to reduction of wing. Ornithologists are of the view that
ancestors of flightless birds reach New Zealand on the wing.
Matthew has pointed out that flightless birds as a rule are peculiar to isolated islands,
and could only develop there where there are no carnivorous mammals.
Two families of extinct Moas and also an extinct flightless goose and another species
of extinct parrot are reported from vertebrates of great interest living in New Zealand.
The tuatara (Sphenodon punctatum) of family Sphenodontidea is only survivor
member of order Rhynchocephalidae, this family was well represented in the Jurassic
period, but no fossils from Cretaceous times or later have been discovered. Sphenodon
does not differ much from its Jurassic relatives; hence its ancestors may have lived in
New Zealand since Mesozoic times. They may have reached these islands together
with kiwi.

New Zealand also has two endemic genera of Gecko and Lygosoma are the only
ovoviviparous Lizards. Skinks are also ovoviviparous. Other remarkable vertebraetes
are the frogs of the endemic genus Liopelma, the only other genus of its family
Liopelmatidae is Ascaphus which is reported from North America. The ancestors of
Liopelma entered New Zealand by the same Mesozoic land bridge as the kiwi and
Sphenodon.

The fresh water fauna of New Zealand is very poor. Fresh water fishes of Galaxidae
and Haplochitonidae family are present over here but there are too recent to use
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Mesozoic land bridge and it is hardly possible that New Zealand had any Lateral
connection Australia was connected with south east Asia and also with New Zealand
at the end of Mesozoic period The connection between Australia and New Zealand
came to an end much earlier than connection of Australia and Asia. There presence of
a kiwi of genus Meta apteryx of from Pleistocene of Queensland also supports the
connection of new Zeeland of Australia during Mesozoic time.

PACIFIC ISLAND FAUNA:-

All the pacific island in zoogeography is termed as Polynesian
regions. But Beaufort did not prefer to use this term and called them as pacific island.
These islands recovered their fauna from west and not from East. Most Pacific islands
are situated within the tropics and therefore their fauna is mainly related to the tropics
Part of Australia region i.e. New Guinea. There are no land mammals except a Rat
generally known as (Rattus exulans) considered as a sub species of oriental Rattus
concolor. Some island have Bats also which include both the fugivorous and
insectivorous. These came flying over the sea.
NEW CALEDONIA:-
It is the largest pacific island which lies 800 miles East of Australia covering an area
of about 6800 miles and mountain heights up to 5000 feet. Its fauna was collected,
studied and discussed by F. Sarasin. New Caledonian Bats belong to four genera only.
These are fruit eating and insect eating and are definitely of Australian affinity.
Almost all species are endemic. A few introduced Rats are also present. More than 60
genera of birds are reported from here. The most remarkable is “Kagu” of genus
Rhinochaetes. It has well developed wings but does not fly. And it is somewhat
related to cranes. The endemic genus Eunymphicus is more nearly related to Australia
parrot. Native birds are Hawks, owls, Rails, Kagu and parrots. Reptiles incline Geckos
skinks. Three Geckos are endemic but no skinks.
Snakes are totally absent there no frogs or toads and no true fresh water fishes and
only endemic species of Galaxias which is a salt tolerant species. Its species spawn in
the sea.
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FIJI ISLAND:-
There are no mammals except some bats which are only present along with Rattus
exulans. Four genera of snakes are also present one Typhlops (Blind snake), two
Pythons and one endemic Poisonous genus Ogmodon. Many Lizards, most remarkable
is Iguanid (Brachylophus) which is typically of South American Region. Other
reptiles are Geckos and skinks. Two genera of frogs Cornufer and Platymantis are
also present. They were probably transported by man accidently. Number of species
gradually decreases from west to East but there is further sudden drop when we cross
from Fiji to Samoa noticeable in almost every group but in Samoa there is no
progress.
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ENDEMIC FAUNA OF AUSTRALIAN REGION:-

 Mammals: Kangaroos, wallabies, bandicoots, phalangers, wombats, duck billed
platypus, spiny echidna.
 Birds: Cassowaries, Emu, honey suckers, Lyre birds, bower birds, tooth billed
pigeons, birds of paradise.
 Reptiles: fly river turtle, scale footed lizard, komodo dragon.
 Amphibians:
 Fishes: lung fish (Epiceratodus), osteoglossidae,galaxidae.
AFFINITIES OF AUSTRALIAN REGION WITH OTHER REGIONS
 Fauna shared with Oriental Region
 Mammals:
 Birds: frog mouth birds, Flower peckers, Mound builders,
 Reptiles:
 Amphibians:
 Fishes:
 Fauna shared with Neotropical Region
 Mammals:
 Birds:
 Reptiles:
 Amphibians:
 Fishes:
 Fauna shared with Neotropical Region
 Mammals:
 Birds:
 Reptiles:
 Amphibians:
 Fishes: