Bulungamayinae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bulungamayinae |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Diprotodontia |
| Family: | Potoroidae |
| Subfamily: | †Bulungamayinae Archer et al, 1821. |
Bulungamayinae is a group of ancient marsupials that are now extinct. They lived a long time ago, from the Late Oligocene period until recently. These animals were related to modern potoroos and bettongs, which are small hopping marsupials found in Australia. Scientists study their fossils to learn about them.
Contents
What Were Bulungamayinae?
Bulungamayinae were a special group of marsupials. They had body features that looked a lot like today's potoroos and bettongs. These modern animals are known for being small, long-nosed, and for digging in the ground.
Their Amazing Teeth
The teeth of Bulungamayinae give us clues about them. Their front teeth (incisors) and premolars were similar to those of modern potoroos. This suggests they might have eaten similar foods. However, their back teeth (molars) were more like those of larger plant-eating marsupials, such as kangaroos. This mix of teeth shows they had a unique diet. They were likely fungivores, meaning they ate fungi, just like some modern potoroos.
How Big Were They?
Bulungamayinae were quite a bit larger than today's potoroos. They weighed about five to ten kilograms (11 to 22 pounds). To give you an idea, the biggest modern potoroo, the Rufous rat-kangaroo (Aepyprymnus rufescens), is smaller than these ancient marsupials.
Family Tree of Bulungamayinae
Scientists group animals into families to show how they are related. Bulungamayinae belong to the family Potoroidae, which includes all potoroos and bettongs. Here's how they fit in:
- family Potoroidae
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- subfamily †Palaeopotoroinae
- subfamily Potoroinae
- subfamily †Bulungamayinae
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- genus Bulungamaya
- genus Wabularoo
- genus Wanburoo
- genus Nowidgee
- genus Ganguroo
