Tiny jaws found in Queensland push marsupial history back 23m years
The discovery of 23-million-year-old fossilized jaws in Queensland has identified the oldest known member of the dasyurid family of carnivorous marsupials. This finding fills a significant gap in the evolutionary record and suggests these predators once lived in rainforests.
Why it matters
This discovery provides critical evidence for the evolutionary history of Australian marsupials, reconciling previous discrepancies between genetic estimates and the fossil record.
A remarkable fossil discovery in Queensland has filled one of the biggest gaps in Australia's evolutionary history. According to a new study published in the journal Australian Zoologist, researchers have identified the oldest known member of the dasyurid family - the group of carnivorous marsupials that today includes the Tasmanian devil, quolls, dunnarts and antechinuses. The discovery pushes the group's fossil record back to around 23 million years ago, revealing that the ancestors of these predators once thrived in lush rainforests rather than the dry Australian landscapes they are often associated with today.Tiny fossil jaws reveal the oldest known dasyuridThe newly discovered species, named Miyumba chrisdickmani, was a tiny carnivorous marsupial weighing only about 30 grams, roughly the size of a modern mouse.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in