Australian study published: Prehistoric koala discovered in outback

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Researchers have discovered the remains of a previously unknown prehistoric koala species that roamed the Earth 25 million years ago in the Australian outback. According to a study published in the journal “Scientific Reports” led by Flinders University, the species was named Lumakoala blackae. Arthur Crichton, lead author of the study, said the fossil teeth of the marsupial were found 100 kilometers south of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

With a body weight of only 2.5 kilograms, ancient koalas were significantly smaller than modern specimens, which can weigh up to 14 kilograms. They fed mostly on soft leaves, but probably also insects.

In their study, scientists explain that koala teeth are characterized by features called selenodont teeth. These molars are found in herbivorous mammals. They are characterized by a series of crescent-shaped protrusions used to break down tough plant material.

Crichton says the discovery helps close a 30-million-year gap in the evolution of iconic marsupial mammals. “Our computer analysis of evolutionary relationships indicates that the Lumakoala is a member or close relative of the koala family,” he explained. The species also resembles much older marsupial fossils, particularly Thylacotinga and Chulpasia, found at the 55-million-year-old Tingamarra site in the north-east of the country.

“It has been suggested in the past that the enigmatic Thylacotinga and Chulpasia may be closely related to marsupials in South America,” Crichton said. However, the discovery of the Lumakoala suggests that these two species may actually be early relatives of herbivorous marsupials such as koalas, wombats, kangaroos and possums in Australia.

“This order of animals, called Diprotodontia, is extremely diverse today, but nothing is known about the first half of its development due to a long gap in the fossil record,” he said. Co-author Robin Beck, from Britain’s University of Salford, explained: “This shows how the discovery of new fossils like the lumakoala, even if they consist of only a few teeth, can revolutionize our understanding of the history of life on Earth.”

The number of modern-day koalas that live only in Lower Lower is now reduced due to persistent droughts, devastating bushfires, disease and habitat loss. In some states, the endangered status of the odd eucalypteater was upgraded from “vulnerable” to “endangered” last year. (SDA)

Source : Blick