Dunnart
genus of mammals
A dunnart (from Noongar donat) is a narrow-footed marsupial the size of a European mouse, of the genus Sminthopsis. Dunnarts have a largely insectivorous diet.
Taxonomy
The genus name Sminthopsis was published by Oldfield Thomas in 1887, the author noting that the name Podabrus that had previously been used to describe the species was preoccupied as a genus of beetles.
The type species is Phascogale crassicaudata, published by John Gould in 1844.
There are 19 species, all of them in Australia or New Guinea:
Genus Sminthopsis
S. crassicaudata species-group
Fat-tailed dunnart, Sminthopsis crassicaudata
S. macroura species-group
Kakadu dunnart, Sminthopsis bindi
Carpentarian dunnart, Sminthopsis butleri
Julia Creek dunnart, Sminthopsis douglasi
Stripe-faced dunnart, Sminthopsis macroura
Red-cheeked dunnart, Sminthopsis virginiae
S. granulipes species-group
White-tailed dunnart, Sminthopsis granulipes
S. griseoventer species-group
Grey-bellied dunnart, Sminthopsis griseoventer
S. murina species-group
Kangaroo Island dunnart, Sminthopsis aitkeni
Chestnut dunnart, Sminthopsis archeri
Little long-tailed dunnart, Sminthopsis dolichura
Sooty dunnart, Sminthopsis fuliginosus
Gilbert's dunnart, Sminthopsis gilberti
White-footed dunnart, Sminthopsis leucopus
Slender-tailed dunnart, Sminthopsis murina
S. psammophila species-group
Hairy-footed dunnart, Sminthopsis hirtipes
Ooldea dunnart, Sminthopsis ooldea
Sandhill dunnart, Sminthopsis psammophila
Lesser hairy-footed dunnart, Sminthopsis youngsoni
Additionally, three species are recognized by the American Society of Mammalogists:
Froggatt's dunnart, Sminthopsis froggatti
Stalker's dunnart, Sminthopsis stalkeri
Western Red-cheeked Dunnart, Sminthopsis nitela
The American Society of Mammalogists also lists S. griseoventer as a synonym of S. fuliginosa, and moved S. longicaudata to the genus Antechinomys.
Description
A male dunnart's Y chromosome is the smallest known mammalian Y chromosome.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Dunnart” as genus of mammals. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as genus of mammals. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 29, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q653458. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1887 and 1844.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Dunnart”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Dunnart primary sources, Dunnart archive and Dunnart research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Dunnart” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.