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Kangaroos

All articles tagged with #kangaroos

science2 years ago•3 min saved

The Surprising Evolution of Kangaroos' Hopping Ability

Scientists have found that extinct large kangaroos likely used other modes of transportation, like walking on two legs or all fours, and that modern large hopping kangaroos are the exception in kangaroo evolution. The researchers used fossil evidence and a new analysis of shin and ankle bone data to show how hop traits changed over time, separate from growing body mass. The study suggests that hopping is only one of many gait modes employed by kangaroos both in the past and today, and the fast endurance hopping of modern kangaroos should not be regarded as some 'evolutionary pinnacle'.

via ScienceAlert|

#anatomy #evolution #fossil-record

science2 years ago•4 min saved

The Surprising Evolution of Kangaroos' Hopping Ability

Extinct kangaroos displayed more diverse locomotion patterns than their modern counterparts, including quadrupedal bounding, climbing, and slower hopping, according to a review by researchers from the University of Bristol and the University of Uppsala. The study suggests that the high-speed endurance hopping seen in modern kangaroos was likely rare or absent in their ancestors, with many extinct species adopting alternative forms of movement, such as bipedal striding. The review is an extensive discussion of the fossil evidence of the locomotion of kangaroos and their relatives over the last 25 million years, and presents new analyses of limb bone and ankle bone metric data that add weight to previous locomotor hypotheses.

via SciTechDaily|

#evolution #extinction #fossil-record

environment2 years ago•2 min saved

Australia's Ecologists Call for Kangaroo Culling to Prevent Starvation.

Ecologists in Australia are urging the government to cull kangaroos to prevent a catastrophic die-off due to overpopulation. Kangaroos have a boom and bust population cycle, and when food is scarce, they can starve to death. Shooting and harvesting the meat of kangaroos is seen as a humane way to control their numbers. While animal rights activists have denounced the commercial cull, researchers argue that it is necessary to prevent the animals from suffering. The kangaroo population in Australia is expected to boom in the coming years due to favorable weather conditions.

via Deccan Herald|

#animal-rights #australia #culling