Yingabalanara facts for kids

Yingabalanara was a unique mammal that lived in Australia a very long time ago, during a period called the Miocene epoch. Scientists only know about it from a few teeth, so it's a bit of a mystery! They are still trying to figure out how it relates to other mammal groups we know today.

What Did Yingabalanara Look Like?

Scientists have only found two lower right molar teeth from Yingabalanara. These teeth are very special. The top surface of each tooth has two parts that look like crescent moons. This is actually how the animal got its name!

Because the teeth are so unusual, it's hard for scientists to match them to normal tooth parts. They could be different types of cusps (the bumps on teeth). The molars also had two roots, which helped hold them in the jaw.

Based on the size of its teeth, Yingabalanara was probably about the size of a rat. Its teeth suggest it was an omnivore, meaning it ate both plants and meat. However, since only teeth have been found, we don't know what the rest of its body looked like.

What Does Its Name Mean?

The name Yingabalanara comes from the Waanyi language, spoken by Indigenous Australians. It means "two moons." This name was chosen because of the two crescent-shaped bumps on the animal's teeth.

The species name, richardsoni, honors Graham Richardson. He was an important person in the Australian government, serving as the "Commonwealth Minister for the Environment and the Arts."

Where Does Yingabalanara Fit In?

The teeth of Yingabalanara are extremely unusual compared to other mammals. This makes it very hard for scientists to figure out its exact family tree. Its strange tooth bumps are very different from what we see in marsupials (like kangaroos) and placental mammals (like humans).

While there are tiny similarities to the teeth of monotremes (like platypuses), Yingabalanara's teeth are still quite different. The mammal with teeth most similar to Yingabalanara is an ancient North American animal called Potamotelses. However, scientists are also unsure where Potamotelses fits in the mammal family tree.

Because Yingabalanara's teeth are so unique, scientists have placed it in its very own group, called the order Weirdodonta. This name highlights just how strange and different this ancient mammal was!