Environment     

DNA extracted from ancient giant kangaroos

Xinhua, January 20, 2015

• Dr Bastien Llamas with a skull of an extinct short-faced kangaroo (Simosthenurus occidentalis).[Agencies]

  Australian scientists have extracted DNA from a pair of giant kangaroos that died about 45, 000 years ago, and the discovery means researchers can link these ancient species to modern-day kangaroos.

  The team from the University of Adelaide have extracted DNA sequences from two species: a giant short-faced kangaroo ( Simosthenurus occidentalis) and a giant wallaby (Protemnodon anak), which were discovered in a cold and dry cave in Tasmania.

  Good preservation conditions in the cave has allowed enough DNA to survive, the researchers said.

  "The ancient DNA reveals that extinct giant wallabies are very close relatives of large living kangaroos, such as the red and western grey kangaroos," said lead author Dr Bastien Llamas in a statement on Tuesday.

  "Their skeletons had suggested they were quite primitive macropods -- a group that includes kangaroos, wallabies, pademelons and quokkas -- but now we can place giant wallaby much higher up the kangaroo family tree."

  Because of poor preservation and the age of Australian megafaunal remains, scientists attempting to investigate the evolutionary relationships of the Australian megafauna were previously restricted to using information from bones.

  "In addition to poor DNA preservation, most of the extinct Australian megafauna do not have very close relatives roaming around today, which makes it more difficult to retrieve and interpret the genetic data," Llamas said.

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