Kangaroos have barely changed from their ancestors which were hopping around 25 million years ago, according to researchers who discovered the fossil remains of one of the species' oldest relatives. Unlike most island mammals which evolved quickly, kangaroos appear to have barely changed over millions of years.
A 25-million-year-old fossil has revealed that a predecessor of Australias iconic hopping kangaroo once galloped on all fours, had dog-like fangs and possibly climbed trees, scientists have reported.
This is really the great, great, great, great grandfather of modern kangaroos - Ben Kear, La Trobe University palaeontologist, member of the Australian team that analysed the bones.
The near-complete skeleton of the prehistoric kangaroo was found in Queensland state in the 1990s and represents a new species called nambaroo gillespieae. Source The Age