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.
Every living organism has its own genetic "blueprint": the source code for how it grows, functions and reproduces. This blueprint is known as a genome. When scientists sequence a genome, they identify and put in order the ...
Ecology
Feb 17, 2026
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A tiny, threatened marsupial not known to have inhabited South Australia's Yorke Peninsula may exist as a relict population and still be clinging to survival, according to new research that has re-examined historical field ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 16, 2026
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We humans have long viewed ourselves as the pinnacle of evolution. People label other species as "primitive" or "ancient" and use terms like "higher" and "lower" animals.
Evolution
Feb 9, 2026
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If you've ever been for a walk in the forest or poked around your local park, you're probably familiar with seeing mushrooms popping up as the weather turns cooler. But you're not the only one.
Plants & Animals
Feb 3, 2026
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Millions of years of isolation have shaped Australia's extraordinary mammal fauna into species unlike anywhere else in the world, from platypus to koalas and wombats. Tragically, Australia is the world leader in mammal extinctions.
Plants & Animals
Jan 25, 2026
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Giant ancestors of modern-day kangaroos—which previous research has estimated could weigh up to 250 kilograms—may have been able to hop in short bursts, according to research published in Scientific Reports.
Paleontology & Fossils
Jan 22, 2026
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291
Research into South Australia's koala populations, led by Dr. Frédérik Saltré from UTS and the Australian Museum, provides the first comprehensive population estimate for the region and identifies a cost-effective, humane ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 20, 2026
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200
An international team of scientists has analyzed the ongoing colonization by two retroviruses of the germline of koalas and resulting deaths from cancer in multi-generational pedigrees of over 100 koalas in US and European ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jan 12, 2026
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78
Today, rock wallabies are seen as secretive cliff-dwellers that rarely stray far from the safety of their rocky shelters. But the fossil record tells a very different story.
Ecology
Jan 12, 2026
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Researchers have taken a leap in understanding how kangaroos can increase their hopping speeds without incurring an associated energetic cost.
Plants & Animals
Dec 19, 2025
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