The newly described extinct species is closely related to the largest marsupial to ever roam the Earth.
Scientists have uncovered the remains of an ancient, quarter-ton marsupial that once walked vast distances across Australia. The new fossils help shed light on mysteries surrounding other, even more gigantic extinct marsupials.
Scientists unearthed the partial skeleton of A. keanei in 2017 from an eroding cliff face at the Kalamurina Wildlife Sanctuary in South Australia. The bones date to around 3.5 million years ago during the Pliocene epoch . As a result, A. keanei would have conserved energy by evenly distributing its weight when walking, but its gait would have made running more difficult, he added.
The secret to A. keanei's efficient walking was a joint in its forearm wrists that gave it a"heeled hand," van Zoelen said. The joint meant that"the digits [on the hand] became essentially functionless and likely did not make contact with the ground while walking."
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