Extinct kangaroos used alternative methods to their famous hop, according to comprehensive analysis from University of Bristol and the University of Uppsala scientists.
Although hopping is regarded as a pinnacle of kangaroo evolution, the researchers highlight that other kinds of large kangaroos, in the not too distant past, likely moved in different ways such as striding on two legs or traversing on all fours.
In the review, published in Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology, the team shows that there are other ways to be an evolutionary successful large kangaroo and that large-bodied kangaroos weren't only specialized in endurance-hopping.
Some ancient kangaroos didn't hop, scientists explain
Although hopping is regarded as a pinnacle of kangaroo evolution, the researchers highlight that other kinds of large kangaroos, in the not too distant past, likely moved in different ways such as striding on two legs or traversing on all fours.
In the review, published in Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology, the team shows that there are other ways to be an evolutionary successful large kangaroo and that large-bodied kangaroos weren't only specialized in endurance-hopping.
Some ancient kangaroos didn't hop, scientists explain