Scientists have discovered a cave filled with 15-million-year-old fossils of prehistoric marsupials in the outback, a rare find that has revealed some suprising similarities between the creatures and modern-day kangaroos and koalas.
Reserchers have unearthed a treasure trove of beautifully preserved fossils from the cave, including 26 skulls from an extinct, wombat-like marsupial called Nimbadon lavarackorum, an odd sheep-sized creature with giant claws. The findings were discribed this week in the journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
"It's extraordinarily for us" said University of New South Wales paleontologist Mike Archer, co-author of the article. "It's given us a window into the past of Australia that we simply didn't have a pigeonhole into before. It's an extra insight into some of the strangest animals you could possibly imagine."
Read more at mail.com
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