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| Kangaroos today are gentle herbivores (Image: dokkyomed) |
Archaeologists excavating in northern Australia have discovered fossil evidence of several new species, including a “killer kangaroo.”
The research team from the University of New South Wales made this discovery at the Riversleigh fossil site in northwestern Queensland. The excavation site currently hides the remains of at least 20 species that science has yet to identify. Notably, there is a carnivorous marsupial that lived approximately 10 to 20 million years ago.
Professor Mike Archer stated that the excavations revealed “truly unusual creatures.” He noted that these killer kangaroos were unlike their relatives today.
“There were carnivorous kangaroos with long canine teeth, and fast-growing kangaroos with long front legs that could not jump,” he said.
The team also unearthed evidence of a large predatory bird dubbed the “devil duck.” They plan to further investigate the fossils to learn more about these species and the impacts of climate change on their development.
T. An
