Dassies by the dozen: a review of dasyurid systematics in the 21st century and conservation priorities for some newly recognised species

The Dasyuridae is a spectacularly diverse family of marsupials including species found across all environments in Australia and New Guinea. Dasyurids range in size from minute planigales (Planigale spp.) to fearsome Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii). While dasyurid diversity has long been recognised, western taxonomic research has seen a steady stream of new species named over time. Over the last quarter century, integrative taxonomic approaches have combined evidence from new molecular and morphological methods, which has aided the discovery of cryptic species of dasyurids and other mammals. Here, we synthesise advances in our understanding of dasyurid systematics in the 21st century, which has thus far resulted in 30 taxonomic changes, and counting. This includes new taxa of Antechinomys, Antechinus, Dasycercus, Murexia, Myoictis, Phascogale, Planigale and Sminthopsis. Taxonomic updates are tracked by the Australasian Mammal Taxonomy Consortium (AMTC) and added to the Australian Mammal Society (AMS) website annually. Accurate species lists are crucial, but as our understanding of dasyurid systematics changes, so too does our knowledge of species biology, distribution and ecology, which in turn drives conservation programs of both existing and newly described taxa. We discuss those new dasyurid species that most need conservation attention, and explore ongoing research trajectories, with the aim of providing a more complete understanding of dasyurid taxonomy in the years to come.