The missing kangaroo could climb trees with its huge claws

New study describes “semi-tree kangaroo” who lived 40,000 years ago in Australia. Apparently, even jumping can become boring.

According to the study, published This week in the Royal Society Open Science, the discovery came from fossils excavated decades ago at Mammo in Western Australia.a Thylacoleo Cave and Caves system. Skulls, teeth and skeletons Two missing marsupials were initially identified as a wallaby of the ice age, Wallabia kitchen. Researchers say they are physically different, however, and ininstead allocate fossils of the genus Congruus, which was previously only occupied by a fossil wallaby, But it follows correctly. Call the newly identified animal But proper kitchen.

“This discovery gives us another reminder of how little we understand even the relatively recent geological past of Australia.” said co-author Gavin Prideaux, a paleontologist at Flinders University in Australia at a university in Murdoch Press release.

Just as large areas of the northern hemisphere were covered in miles of ice sheets during the Pleistocene, stretches of Australia, which are now arid, were once forested and grassy. Thus, a pleasant habitat for an animal that the study authors say was a long-necked herbivore.

Many paleontological discoveries in Australia come from its cave networks, which offer alive analyzes Pleistocene biodiversity. While the team distinguished this species by its cranial and dental features, they obtained clues about its behavior in the foreground.limbs. It is humerus and ulna suggested that the animal was extremely muscular (had large spots), he had a wider range of motion that would allow him to raise his arms above his head (think: have you ever seen a modern kangaroo surrender?) and had large hands with massive, curved claws. (The curvature in figures is presented as an adaptation for grasping the branches in other species, also.)

“This is really interesting, not only in terms of the unexpected behavior of climbing trees in a large wallaby, but also as these specimens come from an area that is now empty of trees, “said co-author Natalie Warburton, a paleontologist at Murdoch University in Perth, in the same version.” The habitat and environment in the area were really different. of what they are now and probably different from what we might have interpreted before for that time. ”

AMarsupial fossil discoveries in Australian caves similar point he aspiresliving (or at least food) above the ground. Marsupials generally have extremely robust upper bodies, as jelly-like marsupials, born less developed than other mAmalists, must climb into their parents’ bag to continue their development. The recently described species is the latest evidence of the marsupial’s long-term evolutionary commitment to its upper body.

But proper kitchen he would not be the only kangaroo to master mountaineering. That cloak is worn today by the 14 adorable bizarre species tree kangaroos, which show that they have engaged in an evolutionary joint venture with red pandas and lemurs. The fossil kangaroo developed its separate mountaineering traits, the authors said, meaning two groups of kangaroos learned how to climb independently.

The newly described species was only a semi-tree and would have moved slowlyaccording to researchers. But for a creature five times larger than kangaroos live trees, is not a bad experience at all.