The Mysterious Movements of Marsupials

The term 'marsupial' is quite familiar, associated most commonly with kangaroos and koalas, but did you know it actually refers to over 330 species of mammals? Marsupials are characterized by their unique method of reproduction: giving birth to extremely underdeveloped young which then continue their development within a pouch on the mother's body.

These fuzzy creatures aren't distributed globally, but are primarily found in Australia and New Guinea, with few species in the Americas.

Even more interesting is their evolutionary history.

It is a common misconception that marsupials originally came from Australia.

Actually, fossil records suggest they originated in South America 80 million years ago, and later migrated across Antarctica into Australia.

By the time placental mammals dominated other parts of the world, marsupials had already made a stronghold in Australia, hence why they're so prevalent there today..