From jumping kangaroos to sleepy koalas to sturdy wombats, Australia is full of a variety of marsupials — animals that carry their premature young in a skin pouch until they are fully developed. However, just because many marsupials live in Australia doesn’t mean they’re always thriving.
A research team led by the University of Queensland in Australia has successfully produced the first kangaroo embryos through in vitro fertilization (IVF). According to the team, this could be a big leap towards preventing other marsupials from going extinct. The findings have been published in Reproduction, Fertility and Development.
“Australia is home to the greatest diversity of marsupial fauna on the planet, but it also has the highest mammal extinction rate,” said Andres Gambini, lead researcher of the study, in a press release. “Our ultimate goal is to support the preservation of endangered marsupial species like koalas, Tasmanian devils, northern hairy-nosed wombats, and Leadbeater's possums.”
