Cause vampire kangaroo is extinct

Modern kangaroo ancestors may be more fortunate than a group of kangaroo with fangs to attract mates in a survival war.

Scientists at the University of Queensland, Australia, said the ancestors of modern kangaroo won the evolutionary race against another kangaroo group with vampire-like fangs , according to the International Business Times.

Picture 1 of Cause vampire kangaroo is extinct
The fossil head of a balbarid baby was discovered in Queensland, Australia.(Photo: Kaylene Butler).

The kangaroo has fangs called balbarid . Previously it was believed that balbarid was extinct about 15 million years ago. But the study published in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology in August 2017 showed that the time of extinction occurred more recently, at the end of the Neogenic Miocene geological posture.

The research team surveyed the fossils collected at Riversleigh World Heritage Area, Australia. They concluded that Balbarid lived on Earth about 10 million years ago. They are extinct due to the dramatic changes in the Earth's climate, a period of warming in the middle of the Miocene, causing many marine and land animals to disappear.

"The kangaroo with fangs are more likely to compete resources with the ancestors of modern kangaroo," the team said.

In prehistoric times, kangaroo has a smaller size and has not yet developed the ability to breed today. While carnivores like wolves use fangs to catch prey, balbarid is a vegetarian. Balbarid's canines play an important role in mating, instead of eating and drinking like other animals.

"We need to conduct more research before making a definite conclusion about the purpose of using balbarid's canines. But many opinions suggest that canines help animals attract potential partners , " Kaylene Butler , member of the research team, said.