Gliding Mammals: Taxonomy of Living and Extinct Species

ABSTRACT
Jackson, Stephen M., and Richard W. Thorington Jr. Gliding Mammals: Taxonomy of Living
and Extinct Species. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, number 638, vi + 117 pages, 2012.—
There are 64 species of extant gliding mammals that are currently recognized, which are divided
into six different families. These comprise eight species of gliding marsupials that live within Australasia
and include six species of lesser gliding possums of Petaurus (family Petauridae), one species
of greater glider of Petauroides (family Pseudocheiridae), and one species of feathertail glider
of Acrobates (family Acrobatidae). The flying squirrels of the tribe Pteromyini within the rodent
family Sciuridae represent the greatest diversity of gliding mammals, with a total of 48 species in
15 genera currently recognized, and occur throughout Asia, Europe, and North America. A second
group of gliding rodents, known as the scaly-tailed flying squirrels, comprises six species from the
family Anomaluridae that live in central and western Africa. The most specialized and unique of
the extant gliding mammals are the enigmatic colugos, or flying lemurs, of the order Dermoptera
that comprise two species and occur throughout Southeast Asia and the Philippines. In addition to
the extant species there are various fossils of extinct species that are thought to have had an ability
to glide, although there has been a lot of debate over most of these taxa. These fossil taxa include
3 marsupials, 18 dermopterans, 51 flying squirrels, 7 species of scaly-tailed flying squirrels, and 1
extinct species in each of the families Myoxidae, Eomyidae, and Volaticotheriidae. The taxonomic
status of many living and extinct gliding mammals is still in a state of flux, and significant further
revision of the taxonomic status of many groups still needs to be resolved.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Jackson, Stephen M. (Stephen Matthew), 1968–
Gliding mammals : taxonomy of living and extinct species / Stephen M. Jackson and Richard W.
Thorington, Jr.
p. cm. — (Smithsonian contributions to zoology ; no. 638)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Flying squirrels—Classification. 2. Diprotodontia—Classification. 3. Flying lemurs—Classification.
4. Mammals—Flight. I. Thorington, Richard W. II. Title.
QL737.R68J32 2012
599.36'9—dc23
2011045686
ISSN: 0081-0282 (print); 1943-6696 (online)
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard
for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z39.48–1992.