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.
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
0
11
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
0
4
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
0
10
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
0
18
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
0
21
From whale songs to lion roars, animals have evolved to stretch their voices across distances so that friends—and sometimes foes—can hear them. Each sound is coded with messages like "Come here!" "Back off!" "Danger's lurking!" ...
Evolution
Mar 10, 2026
0
17
If you follow media coverage of koalas, you could be forgiven for feeling confused. Recent stories describe a "koala paradox": endangered in the north of Australia, abundant in the south; genetically diverse in some regions, ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 6, 2026
0
38
A new study published in Science is challenging long-held assumptions about how we measure genetic risk in endangered species. Researchers analyzed whole genomes from hundreds of koalas, finding that populations previously ...
Ecology
Mar 5, 2026
0
14
In a dry riverbed in Brazil, in a dense forest near the Amazon, a team of paleontologists found a fossilized jawbone from an ancient animal. Over the course of their fieldwork, they found eight similar bones, each around ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Mar 3, 2026
0
191
A prototype artificial intelligence-powered camera incorporated into an intelligent road sign has successfully detected and recorded a koala crossing a road in real time on the Redlands Coast, marking the first time this ...
Ecology
Mar 3, 2026
0
17
