Diprotodontia is a mammalian order within the infraclass Marsupialia, comprising the largest and most diverse radiation of herbivorous and omnivorous Australasian marsupials, including kangaroos, wallabies, possums, koalas, and wombats. It is defined morphologically by diprotodont dentition, characterized by a single pair of large, procumbent lower incisors, and syndactyly, in which the second and third toes of the hind foot are fused except for their claws. Members exhibit a wide range of locomotor and dietary specializations, from arboreal folivory to terrestrial grazing, and they show complex reproductive strategies typical of marsupials, including altricial young and prolonged postnatal development in a pouch.
In what's been hailed as a "massive breakthrough," a chlamydia vaccine implant has been administered to a wild koala for the first time. This is the only koala chlamydia vaccine that uses two doses. Now, thanks to the implant, ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 14, 2026
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Roughly 50,000 years ago, a kangaroo unlike any alive today lived in the mountain rainforests of New Guinea.
Paleontology & Fossils
Jul 10, 2026
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Australia is racing to contain the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), which is now believed to have infected seven seabirds.
Ecology
Jul 8, 2026
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Australia is home to unusual mammals not found anywhere else—consider the platypus, Tasmanian devil or red kangaroo. But did you know our understanding of this continent's incredible mammalian diversity is still incomplete?
Plants & Animals
Jun 25, 2026
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Like humans, wildlife is increasingly vulnerable as climate change fuels longer and more intense heat waves, disrupting feeding and breeding and, in extreme cases, proving fatal.
Environment
Jun 19, 2026
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Researchers are celebrating the release of the once locally extinct burrowing bettong back into the NSW desert—with the aim of training them to survive alongside feral cats and foxes.
Plants & Animals
Jun 16, 2026
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It's surprising how easy it is to see a koala every day in Australia's major cities. The cute, gray marsupial can be found on T-shirts, hanging off people's bags and pencils, and decorating any decent souvenir shop. But seeing ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 9, 2026
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A genomic study has reshaped our understanding of the evolutionary history of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), revealing the iconic Australian marsupial experienced a severe population decline around 100,000 years ago, ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 9, 2026
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New research from the University of Sydney has provided the first associative link between heat stress and koala mortality. Published in Biology Letters, the results highlight how even moderate temperature rises can increase ...
Plants & Animals
May 26, 2026
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An Australian animal welfare group is seeking a heroic dog with an appetite for adventure for a full-time position as a koala rescuer.
Ecology
May 20, 2026
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