Tag Archives: kangaroo

First successful production of Kangaroo embryos via in vitro fertilization (IVF)

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It’s a major scientific leap – or at least the hop.

Australian researchers said Thursday it was the first time it produced the first kangaroo embryos through intravitro fertilization, a breakthrough that helped save endangered species from extinction.

Australia is not a shortage of kangaroos – bouncing creatures are generally eaten there – but they are from a group of mammalian marsupials that have been mostly discovered in the country and have lost many species due to extinction.

Prime Minister Andres Gambini, a lecturer at the University of Queensland, said that using kangaroo eggs and sperm by researchers could help support the conservation of these marsupials.

“Our team has built up years of experience dealing with livestock reproductive techniques, such as livestock and horses,” Gambini told NBC News via email. “Adapting these techniques to the unique biology of kangaroos allowed us to create embryos in our lab for the first time.”

This study will help scientists learn more about how marsupial embryos grow because they breed differently than other mammals.

“Kangaroos have a very short pregnancy and embryos can enter suspended animations for several months,” Gambini said. “Our success at IVF helps us to better understand the early stages of these developments.”

Australia is one of the world’s most biological countries, but has the highest rate of mammal extinction. Australia’s Invasive Species Council says that since the European settlement, at least 33 mammal species have been extinct, with many of their marsupials extinct.

Due to its historically high extinction rate, the Australian government announced its 10 years in 2022. “Zero Extinction” plan To protect those under threat, we reserve at least 30% of the country’s land mass for conservation.

“If we continue to do what we do, more plants and animals will be extinct,” Australia’s Environment Minister Tanya Privelesek said in the report. “Even koalas are currently at risk on Australia’s east coast.”

Currently, according to 2023, more than 2,200 species in the country are classified as extinct. Report Australian nonprofit foundation.

“Laws intended to protect the nature of Australia have failed,” the report states, with the major conservation policies in countries that existed “are barely monitored and rarely enforced, and businesses are able to naturally qualify. It’s full of loopholes that allow you to destroy it.”

Kangaroos are not at risk, but researchers at the University of Queensland have said that their latest breakthroughs include koalas, Tasmanian demons and other endangered species on the continent, including the hairy nose wombats in the north I hope it will help maintain marsupial species.

“This study provides new tools to maintain the genetic material of endangered species,” Gambini said. “By creating and freezing embryos, we can protect the unique genes of these animals.”

This is not the first time IVF has been used as a tool to preserve endangered species.

Last year, Italian scientists achieved the world’s first IVF rhino pregnancy, offering hope to save Kenya’s northern white rhinoceros – two of which remain on Earth from extinction. They did so by transferring lab-created rhinoembryos to surrogate mothers.

Still, Gambini said the latest IVF breakthrough is just one step on the long road to a more comprehensive solution.

“There’s a lot of unknowns because we’re the first and there’s still so much to discover,” he says, and when combined with other strategies, “make a real difference in some kind of risky kind of thing.” “You can do that.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Incredible Discovery: Giant Short-Faced Kangaroo Fossil Unearthed in Australia

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Palaeontologists from the Victoria Museum Research Institute and other institutions have discovered Cymostenurus occidentalis Fossils of a eastern grey kangaroo, a species of giant short-faced kangaroo that lived in Australia until about 42,000 years ago, have been discovered in Nightshade Cave in Gunaikurnai County, north of the town of Buchan in eastern Victoria, Australia.

“Short-faced kangaroo They appear in the Australian fossil record around 10 to 15 million years ago, when tropical rainforests began to give way to drier habitats.” Said Dr Tim Ziegler, Collections Manager at Museum Research Victoria;

“They especially diversified during the Late Pleistocene, about 500,000 years ago, during the transition to our present-day arid climate.”

“But in a wave of extinction around 45,000 years ago, they disappeared from the entire continent, along with up to 85% of Australia's large animals.”

49,400-year-old skeleton of a giant short-faced kangaroo Cymostenurus occidentalis It was discovered in Nightshade Cave in Victoria.

The animal's skull was discovered by a local cave group in 2011, and just 10 years later, the individual's skeleton below the skull was discovered by expert paleontologists.

“The skull had a deep snout, robust jaws and teeth, characteristic of a short-faced kangaroo,” Dr Ziegler explained.

“Behind it there were many more bones. It was amazing to see the vertebrae, shoulders, hips, limbs and thin rib cage. Many of the bones had not been moved at all and were still in their original position. This was one animal, not just bones scattered randomly. It felt like the Holy Grail of fossils.”

Cymostenurus occidentalisImage credit: Nellie Pease / ARC CoE CABAH / CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed.

According to the team, the discovery was made at a young age. Cymostenurus occidentalis.

“This is a further distinction from other species of this animal as it is a juvenile rather than an adult kangaroo,” Dr Ziegler said.

“The teeth had barely worn down, the skull had not yet fused, and the ends of the limbs had not yet joined together.”

“Based on the size of its limbs, we estimate its weight to be around 80 kilograms, which is roughly the weight of an average human. However, as an adult, it may have been half that size.”

The specimen consists of 150 preserved bones and is the most complete fossil skeleton ever found in a Victorian cave.

This fossil, along with others from Nightshade Cave, are now permanently housed and cared for at the Melbourne Museum.

“The skeleton we found has a perfectly intact spinal column, providing new insights that aren't possible from isolated bones,” Dr Ziegler said.

“Thanks to the detailed 3D model, this nearly complete skeleton can be studied from anywhere in the world.”

“A key idea under investigation is whether the Stenulin kangaroo was striding rather than hopping.”

Source: www.sci.news

The discovery of three new fossil kangaroo species in Australia and New Guinea

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Three new species belong to the extinct genus Kangaroo Protemnodon was a common member of Cenozoic communities in Australia and New Guinea until extinction in the late Pleistocene.

Artist's impressions of newly described fossil species Protemnodon Viator and their relatives protemnodon anak, compared in scale with modern red kangaroos and eastern gray kangaroos. Image credit: T. Klarenbeek, Flinders University.

Protemnodon Kangaroos lived in Australia and New Guinea from about 5 million to 40,000 years ago.

The first species is Protemnodon Described in 1874 by British paleontologist Owen, he followed the common approach of the time, focusing primarily on fossilized teeth. He observed slight differences in teeth between specimens and described the teeth of six species. Protemnodon.

Protemnodon They looked similar to giant kangaroos, but were generally stockier and more muscular.

Some species weighed around 50 kg, while others were much larger than modern kangaroos.

However, one new species was named as part of the research – Protemnodon Viator – was much larger and weighed up to 170 kg. This is about twice the size of the largest male red kangaroo.

Protemnodon Viator They were well adapted to the arid habitats of central Australia and lived in areas similar to today's red kangaroos.

This species was a kangaroo with long limbs and could jump fairly quickly and efficiently.

The remaining two new species are Protemnodon Mamukura and Protemnodon dorsonae.

“Previously, some or all Protemnodon Dr Isaac Kerr, a paleontologist at Flinders University, says:

“However, our research suggests that this is true for only three or four species of animals. ProtemnodonIt could have animated things like quokkas and potoroos. Sometimes it would jump on four legs, sometimes on two legs. ”

“The newly described Protemnodon Mamukura Probably one of these. A large but thick-boned and strong kangaroo, it probably moved quite slowly and inefficiently. Perhaps it only rarely jumped when it was startled. ”

“The best fossils of this type come from Green Waterhole Cave in south-eastern South Australia, on the land of the Boadick people.”

“It is unusual for a single genus of kangaroos to live in such diverse environments. Protemnodon They are now known to inhabit a wide range of habitats, from the arid regions of central Australia to the rain-rich, forested mountains of Tasmania and New Guinea. ”

Protemnodon dorsonae Compared to the other two species, there are fewer known fossils and more mysteries. It was probably a medium speed hopper, something like a swamp wallaby.

“By about 40,000 years ago, all Protemnodon “It is now extinct in mainland Australia, but may survive for a little longer in New Guinea and Tasmania,” the authors said.

“This extinction occurred despite differences in size, adaptation, habitat, and geographic range.”

“For reasons that are not yet clear, the same thing did not occur in many similar relatives, such as wallaroos and giant kangaroos.” I might be able to answer that.”

“It's great that we now have some clarity on the identity of the animal species.” Protemnodon' said Professor Gavin Prideaux from Flinders University.

“Fossils of this genus are widespread and regularly discovered, but in many cases there is no way to be sure which species you are looking at.”

“This study may help researchers approach their studies with more confidence.” Protemnodon”

This finding is reported in the following article: paper Published in today's magazine Megataxa.

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Isaac AR Carr other. 2024. Systematics and paleontology of the late Cenozoic genus Kangaroo Protemnodon (Marsupialia, Megapoda). Megataxa 11(1); doi: 10.11646/megataxa.11.1.1

Source: www.sci.news

A newly discovered kangaroo lizard species found in India

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A research team led by scientists from Calicut University has described a new species of agamid lizard discovered in the Indian state of Kerala.

Agastya Gama Edge, an uncollected female from the reference locality habitat of Kuramab, Idukki District, Kerala, India. Image credit: Sandeep Das.

The newly confirmed species belong to the following: Agastya Gama, a previously monotypic genus of diurnal, terrestrial, insectivorous lizards of the family Agamiidae.

This genus includes Indian Kangaroo Lizard (Agastya Gama Bed Dormitory) Originally from the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

“Terrestrial agamids, which inhabit the forests of southern India and Sri Lanka, are currently classified into two separate genera. Agastya Gama and Otocryptis It is based on genetic and morphological grounds,” said Calicut University researcher Sandeep Das and colleagues.

“Genus Otocryptis It originally included two species. Otocryptis Bed Dormitory From the southern Western Ghats of India, Otocryptis wigmannii It comes from the humid region of Sri Lanka. ”

“After a long gap, additional species Otocryptis nigristigma Illustrated from the dry forests of Sri Lanka. ”

“In 2018, scientists showed that the Sri Lankan kangaroo skink is paraphyletic with the Western Ghats kangaroo skink.”

“This prompted them to establish a monotypic genus.” Agastya Gama to accommodate Indians. Otocryptis Bed Dormitory however, no molecular data are available. Otocryptis nigristigma”

Agastya Gama Edge Lifetime: (A) An unrecovered adult male from Kuramab, Idukki District, Kerala, India. (B) Females not collected from the same locality. Image credit: Sandeep Das.

named Agastya Gama EdgeThe new species is a small agamid lizard with a body length of 3 to 4.3 centimeters.

“Agastya Gama Edge It is the second species of the genus Agastya Gama” said the researchers.

“On the surface, they are similar. Agastya Gama Bed Dormitory They vary in overall shape, size, and color, but can be distinguished by the combination of letters. ”

Agastya Gama Edge It is currently known only from evergreen forests in the Idukki district of Kerala, India. All records of this species are between 636 and 835 m above sea level.

“We encountered more individuals from March to May,” the scientists said.

“Disturbed habitats such as roadside vegetation and plantation areas had lower numbers compared to undisturbed vegetation types.”

“During the breeding season from March to May, males had creamy spots on their throats. Young individuals were observed in June and July.”

“Discovery of the second species Agastya Gama “The reptile diversity of the Western Ghats is increasing,” they added.

“Agastya Gama Bed Dormitory Its range is home to a variety of habitat types, including myristica wetlands, hilltop tropical evergreen forests in the south, tropical evergreen forests on the west coast, tropical semi-evergreen forests on the west coast, and secondary moist mixed deciduous forests in the south. I am. Agastya Gama Edge So far it has been recorded only from tropical semi-evergreen and evergreen forests. ”

“Our study shows that the two species are geographically separated by about 80 km in a straight line.”

discovery of Agastya Gama Edge is explained in paper It was published in the magazine vertebrate zoology.

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S. Das other. 2024. Discovery of a new species of kangaroo lizard (Squamatora: Agamiidae: Agastya Gama) from the southern Western Ghats of India. vertebrate zoology 74: 151-168; doi: 10.3897/vz.74.e113084

Source: www.sci.news