Marlu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids MarluTemporal range: Late Oligocene - Middle Miocene
|
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Infraclass: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: |
Marlu
Woodburne et al., 1987
|
| Species | |
|
M. kutjamarpensis |
|
Marlu is the name of a group of ancient marsupials that are now extinct. These animals lived in Australia many millions of years ago. They belonged to a family called Pseudocheiridae, which includes modern-day possums and gliders.
Contents
Discovering Marlu: An Ancient Marsupial
Marlu was a type of marsupial, which means it was a mammal that carried its young in a pouch, much like kangaroos or koalas do today. Scientists have found fossils of Marlu in Australia. These fossils tell us about animals that lived long before humans existed.
What Was Marlu Like?
While we don't have a complete picture of what Marlu looked like, we know it was part of the possum and glider family. This suggests it might have been a tree-dwelling animal, perhaps similar to modern ringtail possums. It was an important part of the ancient Australian ecosystem.
When Did Marlu Live?
The Marlu marsupials lived during two very old time periods: the Oligocene and the Miocene epochs.
- The Oligocene Epoch was about 33.9 to 23 million years ago.
- The Miocene Epoch followed, lasting from about 23 to 5.3 million years ago.
This means Marlu roamed Australia for millions of years before eventually becoming extinct.
Where Were Marlu Fossils Found?
Scientists have discovered fossils of Marlu in different parts of Australia. So far, five different species of Marlu have been identified.
Marlu Species from the Miocene
Four species of Marlu have been found in rocks from the Miocene period:
- Marlu kutjamarpensis
- Marlu karya
- Marlu sykes
- Marlu ampelos
These fossils were discovered in a place called the Kutjamarpu Local Fauna in Queensland, Australia. A "Local Fauna" is a specific site where many animal fossils from a certain time period are found together.
Marlu Species from the Oligocene
One species, Marlu praecursor, lived even earlier, during the Late Oligocene period. Its fossils were found in the Wadikali Local Fauna in northern South Australia. These different locations and time periods show that Marlu was spread across parts of Australia for a long time.
