Marsupials not from Down Under after all

New study suggests kangroos and their kin are from South America

July 27, 2010

All living marsupials — such as wallabies, kangaroos and opossums — all originated in South America, a new genetic study suggests.

Yep the animals most famous for populating Australia actually started out on another continent altogether. But marsupials a group of mammals known for toting their young in belly pouches on the females are still common in South America, too.

The recent study used new genetic data about some of these species to trace the family tree.

"The two recently sequenced marsupial genomes of the South American opossum (Monodelphis domestica) and a kangaroo, the Australian tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), provide a unique opportunity to apply a completely new approach to resolve marsupial relationships," the researchers, led by Maria A. Nilsson of Germany's University of Munster, wrote in a paper published July 27 in the journal PLoS (Public Libary of Science) Biology.


[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/d9ff9936ffe3.jpg[/atsimg]
A pair of Kangaroos cavort. Marsupials like these, once thought to originate in Australia, may actually have come from South America

www.msnbc.msn.com...

Interesting hypothesis, not only have humans traveled the globe hundreds of thousand years ago so did animals, a good example are the dinosaurs who are found on every Continent, if true that one time they were all one, which there is good evidence for, it would be easy to migrate.

Interesting indeed. Now its time to cue the fun to imagine scenarios of how they got to that continent like as they do about the Galapagos. Being from North America in a place with a ton of opossums, I feel like we got the short straw when compared to the aussies.

reply to post by DINSTAAR


I have to agree with you on that one DINSTARR, Opossum's are not nearly as cute as Kangaroos, on the other hand I am not sure I would like them running around America, if that were the case those Dingo's would surely have followed.

reply to post by Aquarius1

if that were the case those Dingo's would surely have followed.

Dingo's are feral dogs. We actually have dingo's like that here. HERE.

That, and we have wolves.

Opossum's are not nearly as cute as Kangaroos

They look like little demons.

Originally posted by DINSTAAR
reply to post by Aquarius1

Opossum's are not nearly as cute as Kangaroos

They look like little demons.

Here is a photo I took of a Opossum in my backyard....not so demon-like.



EDIT: to fix photograph


[edit on 2-8-2010 by Aggie Man]

I want one of these, so adorable, don't know about their temperament, but something that cute must be sweet and lovable. Koala Bears are native to Australia are they not?

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/4d1c938a2fca.jpg[/atsimg]

This is true . Australia was part of the Gondwanna land mass adjoining South America and New Zealand . I am a Australian Zoologist specializing in Herpetology (reptiles) . The are many contempories between these three Countries . I have argued this with my colleges for years but they suffer tunnel vision and indoctrination .Their are two marsupials in South America , the Opposum and a extinct marsupial shrew . It is commonly believed by my colleges that only marsupials developed here and no placental mammals .Yet there has been fossilized placental shrews found here . Visually many reptiles of Australia and the America's share alot in common . For example if some one could go to google image for me and somehow imbed images of a Australian green tree python and a South American green tree boa for me as I don't know how to do it .Compare these images and you will see what I am talking about .My colleges argue that the are not related because a boa gives birth and a python lays eggs . That is as good as their argument gets .I strongly believe they share a ancestor through evolution .My colleges argue that they evolved seprately and sympatricly .Yet there has been no comparrisons made geneticly or even basic scale comparrisons .I have fought for years for funding to research genetic materials of hundreds of examples that I have crossed examined visually from photgraphs . There are far to many examples to ignore .There is a relationship between our dwarf dragons (lizards) and the American collared lizards .A relationship between our bandy bandy and American coral snakes including the same unique defense behaviour of looping and coiling their bodies .There are hundreds of examples, to many to ignore and I can't get funding .Everything I have ever researched has come from my own pocket .I have even been threated with jail for my research .

Thanks in advance for imbeding images ! somebody ?

[edit on 2-8-2010 by 13th Zodiac]

reply to post by 13th Zodiac


Hi Zodiac, I see you are a fairly new member to ATS, welcome, I will be happy to post the pictures you mentioned later this evening, don't have time at the moment, you do very interesting work, I understand how you feel about your peers, no different here, most scientists have tunnel vision or they won't speak out because of their peers or funding, sad that there are so many secrets..

Thank you for posting.

[edit on 2-8-2010 by Aquarius1]

This is strange news to me as I distinctly remember learning this info in college 8 years ago. I wonder if this is just another of many studies that have confirmed this theory or what?

Marsupials did have a long reign, with many more species than we have today, naturally many having lived in S.America. What we've got left are pretty much vestigial on earth, a type of animal that's on its way out.

Interestingly though (to me), opossums are still in the process of evolving. Just like us humans, the number of teeth varies from individual to individual, a sure sign that a species is in the process.

Just thought i'd add a couple of pics of my parents pet roos.. for no reason other than some gratuitous cuteness

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/6b15d70ed549.jpg[/atsimg]


[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b8c0c0d8b384.jpg[/atsimg]

They were hand reared as orphans and very friendly... dumber than a bag of rocks though

[edit on 2-8-2010 by Funk bunyip]

reply to post by Aquarius1


No sooner does it get released that it already started controversy.
Here you go for the opposing view.
Doubts over South American marsupial study

A new study that suggests all living marsupials originated in South America and share a common ancestor has been disputed by an Australian palaeontologist as "simplistic".

In a paper published today in the open-access journal PLoS Biology , Dr Maria Nilsson and colleagues from the University of Muenster in Germany use a genetic marker known as retroposons to trace the lineage of marsupials.

But, Professor Mike Archer, of the University of New South Wales, says the work is simplistic and ignores already published data.

reply to post by Aquarius1


Its not just that marsupials are from SA, all mammals can trace thier origins to the new world, its just that they were out competed by the placential mammals on all of the other continents after australia became isolated.
I read a very good paper about the origins of mammals several years ago.
Another interesting thing is that of all of the mammals that most people think of as african, only the elephant and i think the hippo are truely african. All the rest migrated from the new world or europe over the past 60 million years. All the cats, antelopes, horses cattle and such are not native african groups.

reply to post by Aquarius1

Actually, one time when opossums are very cute is when you see five of them clinging to mom's back. They actually go over the low branches whilst traveling, and yet still have a very strong hold on mom.
"http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc13/thatdamndaniel/CIMG2114.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket">

[edit on 2-8-2010 by Starbug3MY]

Australian Green Tree Python

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/3c8495368fe8.jpg[/atsimg]

South American Green Tree Python

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/bbae59ed4f93.jpg[/atsimg]

Here the pictures you requested Zodiac, enjoy, they are beautiful creatures, not so sure I would want to be around them though.

reply to post by Funk bunyip

Just thought i'd add a couple of pics of my parents pet roos.. for no reason other than some gratuitous cuteness

Thank you for adding your parents pets to the thread, they are adorable, do remind me of bunny rabbits.

reply to post by 13th Zodiac


Australian Dwarf Dragon

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/e6fa1dc8e07e.jpg[/atsimg]

American Collared Lizard

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/7df21dff35cd.jpg[/atsimg]

Here are the other two pictures you wanted posted Zodiac.

reply to post by Aquarius1


Neither animal is poisonous, aggressive or grows to an appreciable size so you don't have to worry too much!

Also, I think the American Collared Lizard looks more like the Australian Tommy.

www.auswildlife.com...



[edit on 3-8-2010 by OZtracized]

[edit on 3-8-2010 by OZtracized]

reply to post by Aquarius1


If only i had photos of them when they were little.. hanging in a sheepskin homemade "pouch" wearing disposable nappies... soo cute.. hahahah

reply to post by Funk bunyip


Sure they are adorable, I lived in Northern Florida for a very short time and there were these tiny lizards who lived in my plants on my Lanai, had to make sure the door to inside was closed as they would scamper in.

Thank you so much Aquarius1 , yes I am a fairly new sign up ( but have observed for quite sometime) .So thank you for the images and the welcome , you're the first and only to do so , so you're on my friend list now and I have given you a flag too .
Nice image of a collard lizard . The top lizard image is a error though never mind . It is no dragon or a dwarf LOL , that is a mertens water monitor .I have one here as a pet , she is about 1.6 metres long LOL .
The image that Oztracized posted of a tommy is closer , we have a genus of lizards ( dwarf dragon ) called Ctenophorus ,morphicly they are the spitting image of the collared lizard other than colour and pattern .
Ctenophorus isolepis and pictus commonly known as the millitary dragon and painted dragon I wouldn't expect you to know that anyway .No need to post as I think most understand now what I am getting at and bottom line it supports your great OP .
I have a funny story for you from yesterday about reptiles . I had a knock on the door at 8am from the postman , I thought he needed me to sign for a parcel but no he says are you the snakeman ( Signed venomous snake removal on my 4X4 ) .I say yes and he says follow me .I obliged and he shows me a 8 and a half foot carpet python swallowing a fruitbat ( about 2 feet across the wing span ) on a driveway a couple of doors down . I told him I would remove it shortly , when it had worked the bat down as I didn't want to deprive the python of a meal and didn't want the bat to go to waste as it had already been killed .So I came back a little later and put him in my backyard to digest his meal . He's still there today as I knew he would be . Will take about a week or more to digest and snakes are not very mobile with a lump like that in them. Anyway a bit off topic with reptiles , this a marsupial post right LOL .I'm not much of a cute cuddly mammal person and considering I live in Australia I don't like Marsupials much , I prefer placental mammals more so I guess the grass is greener on the other side .I would love to come to the States sometime to photograph and study the wildlife ( knowing my life I'd be stopped at the airport ha ha ) .If you ever come to Queensland Australia you have a tour guide for our wildlife and National parks if you ever want one .Cheers .