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.
Governments around the world conserve plants and animals in part by setting aside land. Whether as wilderness reserves or as resource management zones that allow industrial activities such as logging, 17.4% of the planet's ...
Ecology
May 19, 2026
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New research into koala milk could prove crucial to future conservation of the iconic, yet endangered Australian species. The study, led by Edith Cowan University (ECU) Ph.D. candidate Manujaya W. Jayamanna Mohottige, is ...
Plants & Animals
May 14, 2026
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Brush-tailed rock-wallaby populations have dwindled for more than a century due to historical hunting for the European fur trade and competition and predation from introduced species. New research shows terrain complexity ...
Plants & Animals
May 11, 2026
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In 2024, the Western Australian Museum received a donation. It was a koala skull collected from Moondyne Cave in Margaret River by Lindsay Hatcher, an avid caver. There was something a bit odd about this skull, and we were ...
Paleontology & Fossils
May 6, 2026
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New research led by Flinders University argues thick tooth enamel helped kangaroos chart an unconventional evolution story, compared to the animals of other continents. A 50-million-year natural "experiment" among Australia's ...
Evolution
Apr 30, 2026
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From brightly colored birds to the much-loved sugar glider, Australia's native animals are a sight to behold. The island continent is home to nearly 600,000 plants, animals and insects, many of which are found nowhere else ...
Ecology
Apr 28, 2026
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Adelaide University and Kangaroo Island Research Station researchers have developed a simple, low-cost way to help wildlife survive in the critical days and weeks after bushfires, by delivering artificial nectar to animals ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 15, 2026
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While stopped in heavy Melbourne traffic recently, I noticed that what looked like a shadow under a row of spotted gums (Corymbia maculata) along a major road was actually a stain on the concrete curb.
Molecular & Computational biology
Apr 13, 2026
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Scientists have discovered mosquitoes can act like tiny "flying wildlife surveyors," helping researchers detect elusive and endangered animals in Australia's national parks. A team from Macquarie University and the Department ...
Ecology
Mar 19, 2026
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The first camera survey ever conducted on Truwana/Cape Barren Island off Tasmania has recorded two rarely seen animals—white-footed dunnarts and blonde echidnas. A vulnerable shorebird—the Latham's snipe—was also photographed.
Plants & Animals
Mar 11, 2026
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