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| − | {{semiprotected|small=yes}} | + | {{Taxonomy |
| − | {{otheruses}}
| + | |name=Kangaroo |
| − | {{Taxobox
| + | |image=Redkangaroo1.png |
| − | | name = Kangaroos<ref name=MSW3>{{MSW3 Groves | pages= 64 & 66}}</ref> | + | |caption= |
| − | | image = Kangaroo and joey03.jpg | + | |superkingdom= |
| − | | image_width = 250px | + | |kingdom= Animalia |
| − | | image_caption = Female [[Eastern Grey Kangaroo]] with [[Joey (marsupial)|joey]] | + | |subkingdom= |
| − | | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | + | |superphylum= |
| − | | phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]] | + | |phylum=Chordata |
| − | | classis = [[Mammal]]ia | + | |subphylum= |
| − | | subclassis = [[Marsupialia]] | + | |infraphylum= |
| − | | ordo = [[Diprotodontia]] | + | |microphylum= |
| − | | subordo = [[Macropodiformes]] | + | |superdivision= |
| − | | familia = [[Macropodidae]] | + | |division= |
| − | | genus = ''[[Macropus]]'' | + | |subdivision= |
| − | | genus_authority = in part | + | |superclass= |
| − | | subdivision_ranks = Species | + | |class=Mammalia |
| − | | subdivision = | + | |subclass=Marsupialia |
| − | [[Red Kangaroo|''Macropus rufus'']]<br />
| + | |infraclass= |
| − | [[Eastern Grey Kangaroo|''Macropus giganteus'']]<br />
| + | |superorder= |
| − | [[Western Grey Kangaroo|''Macropus fuliginosus'']]<br />
| + | |order=Diprotodontia |
| − | [[Antilopine Kangaroo|''Macropus antilopinus'']]
| + | |suborder=Macropodiformes |
| | + | |infraorder= |
| | + | |superfamily= |
| | + | |family=Macropodidae |
| | + | |subfamily= |
| | + | |supertribe= |
| | + | |tribe= |
| | + | |subtribe= |
| | + | |genera= |
| | + | |genus=Macropus |
| | + | |subgenus= |
| | + | |species= |
| | + | |binomialname= |
| | + | |sub= |
| | + | |alt= |
| | }} | | }} |
| − | A '''kangaroo''' is a [[marsupial]] from the family [[Macropodidae]] (macropods, meaning 'large foot'). In common use the term is used to describe the largest [[species]] from this family, the [[Red Kangaroo]], the [[Antilopine Kangaroo]], and the [[Eastern Grey Kangaroo|Eastern]] and [[Western Grey Kangaroo]] of the ''[[Macropus]]'' genus. The family also includes many smaller species which include the [[wallaby|wallabies]], [[tree-kangaroo]]s, [[wallaroo]]s, [[pademelon]]s and the [[Quokka]], some 63 living species in all.<ref name=MSW3/> Kangaroos are [[endemic (ecology)|endemic]] to the [[continent]] of [[Australia (continent)|Australia]], while the smaller macropods are found in Australia and [[New Guinea]].
| + | '''Kangaroos''' are the largest [[marsupial]]s alive today. Excluding specimens sent overseas, they are only found on the continent of [[Australia]] apart from some species in some areas of [[Papua New Guinea]]<ref>[http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/kangaroos.html Australia's kangaroos], Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.</ref>. There are at least sixty-nine [[species]] of kangaroo <ref name="kangbio">[http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/trade-use/wild-harvest/kangaroo/biology.html "Kangaroo Biology"], Australian Government</ref>, which include [[wallabies]] and tree-kangaroos. |
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| − | In general, larger kangaroos have adapted much better to changes wrought to the Australian landscape by humans and though many of their smaller cousins are endangered, they are plentiful. They are not farmed to any extent, but wild kangaroos are shot [[Kangaroo meat|for meat]], sport, and to protect grazing land for sheep and cattle.<ref>[http://www.kangaroo-industry.asn.au/morinfo/BACKGR1.HTM Kangaroo Industry Background Kangaroo Industries Association of Australia. July 2008]</ref> Although there is some controversy, harvesting kangaroos for meat has many environmental and health benefits over sheep or cows grazed for meat.<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/an-industry-thats-under-the-gun/2007/09/25/1190486311919.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2 Steve Dow: "An industry that's under the gun". ''Sydney Morning Herald online''], September 26, 2007.</ref>
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| − | The kangaroo is an Australian icon: it is featured on the [[Coat of arms of Australia|Australian coat of arms]],<ref>[http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/coat_of_arms.html Australia's coat of arms] URL accessed [[January 6]], [[2007]].</ref> on some of its [[Australian coins|currency]],<ref>[http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/currency.html The Australian currency] URL accessed [[January 6]], [[2007]].</ref> and is used by many Australian organisations, including [[Qantas]].<ref>[http://www.qantas.com.au/info/about/history/details19 The Kangaroo symbol] URL accessed [[January 6]], [[2007]].</ref>
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| − | ==Terminology==
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| − | The word ''kangaroo'' derives from the [[Guugu Yimidhirr language|Guugu Yimidhirr]] word ''gangurru'', referring to a grey kangaroo.<ref>[http://www.iberianature.com/trivia/etymology_mammals.htm Etymology of mammal names] URL accessed [[January 7]], [[2007]].</ref> The name was first recorded as "Kangooroo or Kanguru" on [[4 August]] [[1770]], by [[Lieutenant]] (later [[Captain (naval)|Captain]]) [[James Cook]] on the banks of the [[Endeavour River]] at the site of modern [[Cooktown, Queensland|Cooktown]], when [[HM Bark Endeavour|HM Bark ''Endeavour'']] was beached for almost seven weeks to repair damage sustained on the [[Great Barrier Reef]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Kangaroo - Captain Cook's Journal | publisher = [[Project Gutenberg]] | url = http://www.gutenberg.org/files/8106/8106-h/8106-h.htm#ch8 | accessdate = 2006-12-31 }}</ref>
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| − | A common myth about the kangaroo's English name is that it came from the Aboriginal words for "I don't understand you." According to this [[urban legend|legend]], Captain [[James Cook]] and naturalist Sir [[Joseph Banks]] were exploring Australia when they happened upon the animal. They asked a nearby local what the creatures were called. The local responded "Kangaroo", meaning "I don't understand you", which Cook took to be the name of the creature. This myth was debunked in the 1970s by linguist John B. Haviland.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Haviland |first=John B. |year=1974 |title=A last look at Cook's Guugu-Yimidhirr wordlist |journal=Oceania |volume=44 |issue=3 |pages=216–232 |url=http://www.anthro.ucsd.edu/~jhaviland/Publications/HavilandOceania.pdf |accessdate=2008-04-13 }}</ref>
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| − | Male kangaroos are called ''bucks'', ''boomers'', ''jacks'', or ''old men''; females are ''does'', ''flyers'', or ''jills'', and the young ones are ''[[Joey (marsupial)|joeys]]''.<ref name="sandiego">[http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-kangaroo.html Animal Bytes: Kangaroo and Wallaby] URL accessed [[January 7]], [[2007]].</ref> The [[collective nouns|collective noun]] for kangaroos is a ''mob'', ''troop'', or ''court''. Kangaroos are often colloquially referred to as ''roos''.<ref>{{cite web | title = Roo | work = [[Compact Oxford English Dictionary]] | publisher = Ask Oxford.com | url =http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/roo?view=uk | accessdate = 2006-12-31 }}</ref>
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| − | ==Overview==
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| − | [[Image:Kangaroo-in-flight.jpg|thumb|240px|right|A [[Tasmania]]n Forester ([[Eastern Grey Kangaroo|Eastern Grey]]) Kangaroo in motion.]]
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| − | There are four species that are commonly referred to as kangaroos:
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| − | * The Red Kangaroo (''Macropus rufus'') is the largest surviving [[marsupial]] anywhere in the world. Fewer in numbers, the Red Kangaroo occupies the arid and semi-arid centre of the continent. A large male can be 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) tall and weigh 90 kg (200 lb).<ref name="reds">{{cite web | url = http://www.red-kangaroos.com/ | title = Red Kangaroos | accessdate = 2007-01-07}}</ref>
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| − | * The Eastern Grey Kangaroo (''Macropus giganteus'') is less well-known than the red (outside of Australia), but the most often seen, as its range covers the fertile eastern part of the continent.
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| − | * The Western Grey Kangaroo (''Macropus fuliginosus'') is slightly smaller again at about 54 kg (119 lb) for a large male. It is found in the southern part of [[Western Australia]], [[South Australia]] near the coast, and the [[Darling River]] basin.
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| − | * The Antilopine Kangaroo (''Macropus antilopinus'') is, essentially, the far-northern equivalent of the Eastern and Western Grey Kangaroos. Like them, it is a creature of the grassy plains and woodlands, and gregarious.
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| − | In addition, there are about 50 smaller macropods closely related to the kangaroo in the family [[Macropodidae]].
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| | ==Description== | | ==Description== |
| − | [[Image:Kangur.rudy.drs.jpg|thumbnail|right|240px|[[Red Kangaroo]] (''Macropus rufus'')]]
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| − | Europeans have long regarded kangaroos as strange animals. Early explorers described them as creatures that had heads like deer (without antlers), stood upright like men, and hopped like frogs. Combined with the two-headed appearance of a mother kangaroo, this led many back home to dismiss them as travellers' tales for quite some time.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The first kangaroo to be exhibited in the western world was an example shot by [[John Gore (seaman)|John Gore]], an officer on Captain Cook's ''Endeavour'' in 1770.<ref>[http://www.nma.gov.au/shared/libraries/attachments/friends/archive/in_the_national_museum_captain_john_gore/files/17814/Captain_John_Gore_rf.pdf Captain John Gore] by Johanna Parker, curator at the [[National Museum of Australia]] (June 2006)</ref><ref>[http://calisto.slv.vic.gov.au/latrobejournal/issue/latrobe-66/latrobe-66-004.html The La Trobe Journal], Vol. 66, pages 4 and [http://calisto.slv.vic.gov.au/latrobejournal/issue/latrobe-66/latrobe-66-005.html 5], Spring 2000</ref> The animal was shot and its skin and skull transported back to England whereupon it was stuffed (by [[taxidermy|taxidermists]] who had never seen the animal before) and displayed to the general public as a curiosity.
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| − | Kangaroos have large, powerful hind legs, large feet adapted for leaping, a long muscular [[tail]] for balance, and a small head. Like all [[marsupial]]s, female kangaroos have a [[pouch (marsupial)|pouch]] called a marsupium in which joeys complete [[postnatal]] development. | + | Kangaroos have large ears on top of their small heads, a long snout, and short arms with clawed fingers. Their legs are strong, powerful, and are made for leaping. Their feet have four toes at the end of elongated metatarsi that they rest on when standing. They also have a powerful, thick tail that is used as support when standing, a third-leg when walking slowly, and for counterbalance while leaping. Like all Marsupials, female kangaroos have a pouch on their stomachs in which they carry their young. |
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| − | ==Behaviour==
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| − | Kangaroos are the only large animals to use hopping as a means of [[Animal locomotion|locomotion]]. The comfortable hopping speed for Red Kangaroo is about 20–25 [[km/h]] (13–16 mph), but speeds of up to 70 km/h (44 mph) can be attained, over short distances, while it can sustain a speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) for nearly two kilometres.<ref name="secret">{{cite book | last = Penny | first = Malcolm | title = The Secret Life of Kangaroos | publisher = Raintree Steck-Vaughn Puiblishers | date = 2002 | location = Austin, Texas | isbn = 0-7398-4986-7 }}</ref> This fast and energy-efficient method of travel has evolved because of the need to regularly cover large distances in search of food and water, rather than the need to escape predators.
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| − | Because of its long feet, it cannot walk correctly. To move at slow speeds, it uses its tail to form a tripod with its two [[forelimb]]s. It then raises its hind feet forward, in a form of locomotion called "crawl-walking."<ref name="secret" />
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| − | The average [[life expectancy]] of a kangaroo is about 4–6 years.<ref>{{cite web | title = Gestation, Incubation, and Longevity of Selected Animals | publisher = infoplease.com | url = http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004723.html | accessdate = 2006-12-31}}</ref>
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| | ===Diet=== | | ===Diet=== |
| − | Different species of kangaroos have different diets, although all are strict herbivores. The Eastern Grey Kangaroo is predominantly a grazer eating a wide variety of grasses whereas some other species (e.g. the Red Kangaroo) include significant amounts of shrubs in the diet. The smaller species of kangaroos also consume hypogeal fungi. Many species are [[nocturnal]]<ref name="archive">[http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/dec96/845059250.Zo.r.html Archives] URL accessed [[January 7]], [[2007]].</ref> and [[crepuscular]],<ref name="colzoo">[http://www.colszoo.org/animalareas/austral/kangfact.html Columbus Zoo article] URL accessed [[January 7]], [[2007]].</ref> usually spending the days resting in shade and the cool evenings, nights and mornings moving about and feeding.
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| − | Because of its grazing, kangaroos have developed specialized teeth. Its incisors are able to crop grass close to the ground, and its molars chop and grind the grass. Since the two sides of the lower jaw are not joined together, the lower incisors are farther apart, giving the kangaroo a wider bite. The [[silica]] in grass is abrasive, so kangaroo molars move forward as they are ground down, and eventually fall out, replaced by new teeth that grow in the back.<ref name="secret" />
| + | Kangaroos are [[herbivore]]s, eating grass, roots, and shrubs. They have a chambered stomach similar to [[sheep]] and [[cattle]]. They are able to regurgitate their food, chew it again as [[cud]], and then swallow it for digestion. |
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| − | ===Absence of digestive methane release=== | + | ===Social Order=== |
| − | Despite having a herbivorous diet similar to [[ruminant]]s such as cattle which release large quantities of [[methane]] through [[breathing|exhaling]] and [[eructation]], kangaroos release virtually none. The hydrogen byproduct of fermentation is instead converted into acetate, which is then used to provide further energy. Scientists are interested in the possibility of transferring the bacteria responsible from kangaroos to cattle, since the [[greenhouse gas]] effect of methane is 23 times greater than that of [[carbon dioxide]].<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/ra/innovations/stories/s1159618.htm ''Radio Australia'' - Innovations:]
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| − | "Methane In Agriculture." 15 August 2004. Retrieved 28 August 2007.</ref>
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| − | ===Predators===
| + | Kangaroos travel in [[mob | mobs]] of about ten or more males and females. The leader of the mob, called a "boomer", is a male determined by age and size. The boomer has access to females in his mob for mating and will wander around the mob intimidating any other males who try to mate with his harem. |
| − | Kangaroos have few natural [[predator]]s. The [[Thylacine]], considered by palaeontologists to have once been a major natural predator of the kangaroo, is now [[extinction|extinct]]. Other [[extinction|extinct]] predators included the [[Marsupial Lion]], [[Megalania]] and the [[Wonambi]]. However, with the arrival of humans in Australia at least 50,000 years ago and the introduction of the [[dingo]] about 5,000 years ago, kangaroos have had to adapt. <!--The use of dingoes, and later hunting dogs by Europeans, to hunt kangaroos has resulted in most kangaroos having an enmity for dogs; citation needed--> The mere barking of a dog can set a full-grown male boomer into a wild frenzy.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Wedge-tailed Eagles and other raptors usually eat kangaroo carrion. [[Goanna]]s and other carnivorous [[reptile]]s also pose a danger to smaller kangaroo species when other food sources are lacking. <!--crocodiles?? unlikely...--> | + | |
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| − | Along with dingos and other [[canidae|canids]], [[Invasive species, Australia|introduced species]] like [[fox]]es and [[feral cat]]s also pose a threat to kangaroo populations. Kangaroos and wallabies are adept [[swimming|swimmers]], and often flee into waterways if presented with the option. If pursued into the water, a large kangaroo may use its forepaws to hold the predator underwater so as to [[drowning|drown]] it.<ref name="camuseum">[http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/kanga.htm Canadian Museum of Nature - Kangaroo] URL accessed [[January 6]], [[2007]].</ref> Another defensive [[tactic (method)|tactic]] described by witnesses is catching the attacking dog<!--Just dogs, or other predators as well?--> with the forepaws and [[disembowel]]ling it with the hind legs.
| + | ===Reproduction=== |
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| − | ===Adaptations===
| + | Female kangaroos usually only have one baby kangaroo (called a "joey") at a time. The newborn joey weighs as little as 0.03 ounces when first born, after which it crawls into its mothers pouch where it will nurse, grow, and develop. Red Kangaroo joeys will stay in their mothers pouch for about eight months and Grey Kangaroo joeys stay in there for about one year. |
| − | [[Image:Joey in pouch.jpg|thumb|Newborn joey sucking on a teat in the pouch]]
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| − | Kangaroos have developed a number of adaptations to a dry, infertile continent and highly variable climate. As with all [[marsupial]]s, the young are born at a very early stage of development – after a [[gestation]] of 31–36 days. At this stage, only the forelimbs are somewhat developed, to allow the newborn to climb to the [[Pouch (marsupial)|pouch]] and attach to a [[teat]]. In comparison, a human [[embryo]] at a similar stage of development would be about seven weeks old, and [[premature birth|premature babies]] born at less than 23 weeks are usually not mature enough to survive. When the joey is born, it is about the size of a lima bean. The joey will usually stay in the pouch for about nine months (180–320 days for the Western Grey) before starting to leave the pouch for small periods of time. It is usually fed by its mother until reaching 18 months.
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| − | The female kangaroo is usually [[pregnant]] in permanence, except on the day she gives birth; however, she has the ability to freeze the development of an embryo until the previous [[Joey (marsupial)|joey]] is able to leave the pouch. This is known as [[embryonic diapause|diapause]], and will occur in times of drought and in areas with poor food sources. The composition of the [[milk]] produced by the mother varies according to the needs of the joey. In addition, the mother is able to produce two different kinds of milk simultaneously for the newborn and the older joey still in the pouch.
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| − | Unusually, during a dry period, males will not produce sperm, and females will only conceive if there has been enough rain to produce a large quantity of green vegetation.<ref name="animal">{{cite book | last = Burnie | first = David | coauthors = Don E. Wilson | title = Animal | publisher = DK Publishing, Inc. | date = 2001 | location = New York, New York | pages = 99-101 | id = ISBN 0-7894-7764-5}}</ref>
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| − | [[Image:Kaenguru Hinterfuss-drawing.jpg|thumb|left|Hindleg of a kangaroo]] Kangaroos and wallabies have large, stretchy<!--there must be a better adjective--> tendons in their hind legs. They store elastic strain energy in the [[tendon]]s of their large hind legs, providing most of the energy required for each hop by the spring action of the tendons rather than by any muscular effort. This is true in all animal species which have muscles connected to their skeleton through elastic elements such as tendons, but the effect is more pronounced in kangaroos.
| + | ==Origins== |
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| − | There is also a link between the hopping action and breathing: as the feet leave the ground, air is expelled from the lungs; bringing the feet forward ready for landing refills the lungs, providing further energy efficiency. Studies of kangaroos and wallabies have demonstrated that, beyond the minimum energy expenditure required to hop at all, increased speed requires very little extra effort (much less than the same speed increase in, say, a horse, dog or human), and that the extra energy is required to carry extra weight. For kangaroos, the key benefit of hopping is not speed to escape predators—the top speed of a kangaroo is no higher than that of a similarly-sized quadruped, and the Australian native predators are in any case less fearsome than those of other continents—but economy: in an infertile continent with highly variable weather patterns, the ability of a kangaroo to travel long distances at moderately high speed in search of food sources is crucial to survival.
| + | ===Creationism=== |
| | + | Consistent with their view that the fossil record as a whole does not support the evolutionary position<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/fossils.asp "Fossils Questions and Answers"], Answers In Genesis</ref><ref>[http://members.iinet.net.au/~sejones/fsslrcrd.html Creation/Evolution Quotes: Fossil Record]</ref>, creationists state that there is a lack of transitional fossils showing an evolutionary origin of kangaroos. Rebecca Driver writes: |
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| − | A [[sequencing]] project of the kangaroo [[genome]]{{specify|date=August 2008|which species?}} was started in 2004 as a collaboration between [[Australia]] (mainly funded by the [[Victoria (Australia)|state of Victoria]]) and the [[National Institutes of Health]] in the [[United States|US]].<ref name="genome">[http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jun2004/nhgri-08.htm Kangaroo hops in line for genome sequencing] URL accessed [[January 6]], [[2007]].</ref> The genome of a marsupial such as the kangaroo is of great interest to scientists studying [[comparative genomics]] because marsupials are at an ideal degree of evolutionary divergence from humans: [[mouse|mice]] are too close and haven't developed many different functions, while [[bird]]s are genetically too remote. The dairy industry has also expressed some interest in this project.{{Specify|date=January 2007}}{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
| + | {{QuoteBox|The Macropod family is alleged to have evolved from either the Phalangeridae (possums) or Burramyidae (pygmy-possums)...<br />However, there are no fossils of animals which appear to be intermediate between possums and kangaroos. ''Wabularoo naughtoni'', supposed ancestor of all the macropods, was clearly a kangaroo (it greatly resembles the potoroos which dwell in Victoria’s forests). If modern kangaroos really did come from it, all this shows is the same as we see happening today, namely that kangaroos come from kangaroos, "after their kind." <ref>Driver, Rebecca, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/755/ Kangaroos: God's amazing craftsmanship], ''Creation'' 20(3):28–31, June 1998.</ref>}} |
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| − | ===Kangaroo blindness===
| + | According to the [[origins theory]] model used by [[young earth creation scientists]], modern kangaroos are the descendants of the two founding members of the modern kangaroo baramin that were taken aboard [[Noah's Ark]] prior to the [[Great Flood]]. It has not yet been determined by [[baraminology | baraminologists]] whether kangaroos form a [[holobaramin]] with the [[wallaby]], [[tree-kangaroo]], [[wallaroo]], [[pademelon]] and [[quokka]], or if all these species are in fact [[Baraminology|apobaramin]]ic or [[Baraminology|polybaramin]]ic. |
| − | Eye disease<!--Proper name(s)?--> is rare but not new among kangaroos. The first official report of kangaroo blindness took place in 1994, in central [[New South Wales]]. The following year, reports of blind kangaroos appeared in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] and [[South Australia]]. By 1996, the disease had spread "across the desert to [[Western Australia]]".{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Australian authorities were concerned that the disease could spread to other livestock and possibly humans. Researchers at the Australian Animal Health Laboratories in [[Geelong]] detected a virus called the Wallal virus in two species of [[midge]], believed to have been the carriers.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Hooper | first = P | title = Kangaroo blindness and some other new viral diseases in Australia | journal = Australian Veterinary Journal | volume = 77 | issue = 8 | month = August | year = 1999 | url = http://www.ava.com.au/avj/9908/99080514.pdf | accessdate = 2006-12-31 | doi = 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1999.tb12122.x | pages = 514}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | title = Viruses on the hop | journal = Ecos | publisher = [[CSIRO Publishing]] | issue = 87 | month = Autumn | year = 1996 | url = http://www.publish.csiro.au/?act=view_file&file_id=EC87p36.pdf | accessdate =2006-12-31}}</ref> [[Veterinarians]] also discovered that less than three percent of kangaroos exposed to the virus developed blindness.<ref>{{cite web | title = Unknown | publisher = National Wildlife Federation | url = http://www.nwf.org/internationalwildlife/kangaroo.html}}</ref>
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| − | ==Interaction with humans== | + | After the Flood, these kangaroos, bred from the Ark passengers, migrated to Australia. There is debate whether this migration happened over land<ref name="cab17">[http://www.creationontheweb.com/images/pdfs/cabook/chapter17.pdf "How did animals get from the Ark to places such as Australia"], Chapter 17 of ''The Creation Answers Book'', by Don Batten (Ed.)</ref> with lower sea levels during the post-flood [[ice age]], or before the super-continent of [[Pangea]] broke apart.<ref>[http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/2808 "Pangea and the Flood"], Apologetics Press</ref> |
| − | Before [[European ethnic groups|European]] settlement, the kangaroo was a very important animal for [[Australian Aborigines]], for its [[kangaroo (meat)|meat]], hide, bones and [[tendon|sinews]]. In addition, there were important [[Dreaming (spirituality)|Dreaming stories]] and ceremonies involving the kangaroo. [http://www.aherrenge.nt.gov.au/ Aherrenge] is a current kangaroo dreaming site in the [[Northern Territory]]. The game of [[Marn grook]] was played using a ball made from kangaroo<!--kangaroo what?--> by the [[Kurnai]] people.
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| − | Unlike many of the smaller macropods, kangaroos have fared well since [[History of Australia|European settlement]]. European settlers cut down forests to create vast grasslands for [[Domestic sheep|sheep]] and [[cattle]] grazing, added stock watering points in arid areas, and have substantially reduced the number of [[dingo]]es.
| + | The idea that God simply generated kangaroos into existence there is considered by most creation researchers to be contra-Biblical. |
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| − | Kangaroos are shy and retiring by nature, and in normal circumstances present no threat to humans. Male kangaroos often "box" amongst each other, playfully, for dominance, or in competition for mates. The dexterity of their forepaws is utilised in both punching and grappling with the foe, but the real danger lies in a serious kick with the hindleg. The sharpened [[toenail]]s can disembowel an opponent.
| + | ===Evolution=== |
| | + | The [[Evolution|evolutionary]] view is that kangaroos and other marsupials evolved from a common marsupial ancestor which lived hundreds of millions of years ago.<ref>[http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEPC/WWC/1995/australia.html "Australian Mammals: Evolutionary Development as a Result of Geographic Isolation"]</ref> |
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| − | There are very few records of kangaroos attacking humans without provocation; however, several such unprovoked attacks in 2004 spurred fears of a [[rabies]]-like disease possibly affecting the marsupials. The only reliably documented case of a fatality from a kangaroo attack occurred in New South Wales, in 1936. A hunter was killed when he tried to rescue his two dogs from a heated fray. Other suggested causes for erratic and dangerous kangaroo behaviour include extreme thirst and hunger.
| + | ===Dreamtime=== |
| | + | Some [[Australian Aborigines]] believe that kangaroos were sung into existence by their ancestors during the [[Dreamtime]].<ref>[http://www.painsley.org.uk/RE/signposts/y8/1-1creationandenvironment/c-abor.htm "An Aborigine Creation Story"]</ref> |
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| − | In 2003, Lulu, an Eastern Grey, saved a farmer's life. She received the [[RSPCA]] National Animal Valor Award on May 19 of the next year.<ref>{{cite news | title =Blind kangaroo jumps in to rescue farmer | publisher = [[The Scotsman]] |date= [[2003-09-22]]| url = http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1053612003| accessdate = 2006-12-31 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last =Morse | first =Sherry | title = Half-Blind Kangaroo Saves Life Of Unconscious Man | publisher =Buzzle.com |date=2003-04-10 | url = http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/10-4-2003-46148.asp | accessdate = 2006-12-31 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Lulu the Kangaroo" receives the RSPCA "National Animal Valor Award | publisher = luluthekangaroo.com.au |date | url = http://www.luluthekangaroo.com.au/
| + | == External Links == |
| − | | accessdate = 2006-12-31 }}</ref>
| + | *[http://www.exzooberance.com/virtual%20zoo/they%20walk/kangaroo/kangaroo.htm Kangaroo facts] |
| − | | + | *[http://www.christiananswers.net/kids/kangaroos.html Answers About Kangaroos] |
| − | ===Side effects of harvesting===
| + | *[http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/migration.asp How did animals get from the Ark to places such as Australia?] |
| − | There are some side effects of harvesting kangaroos that are undesirable and work against the stated goals of the harvest. These side effects lock managers into more intervention rather than addressing population concerns. Ecological resilience, exclusion of plant species, a destabilizing of an ecological system, increased instability between prey and predator populations, an increase in juvenile population survival and ultimately a change in the genetic structure of the population. <ref>[http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/trade-use/wild-harvest/kangaroo/harvesting/roobg-02.html Commercial harvesting of Kangaroos in Australia Department of Zoology, The University of Queensland for Environment Australia, August 1999 Side effects of harvesting]</ref>
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| − | === Conflict with vehicles ===
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| − | [[Image:Kangaroo Sign at Stuart Highway.jpg|left|thumb|200px|A "kangaroo crossing" sign on an Australian highway.]]
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| − | [[Image:Western australia kan.jpg|right|thumb|270px|A kangaroo crossing a highway.]]
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| − | A collision with a vehicle is capable of killing a kangaroo. Kangaroos dazzled by headlights or startled by engine noise have been known to leap in front of cars. Since kangaroos in mid-bound can reach speeds of around 50 km/h (31 mph) and are relatively heavy, the force of impact can be severe. Small vehicles may be destroyed, while larger vehicles may suffer engine damage. The risk of harm to vehicle occupants is greatly increased if the [[windscreen]] is the point of impact. As a result, "kangaroo crossing" signs are commonplace in Australia.
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| − | [[Image:Wedge-tailed Eagle.jpg|thumb|A [[Wedge-tailed Eagle]] feeding on a kangaroo 'road-kill' in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.]]
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| − | Vehicles that frequent isolated roads, where roadside assistance may be scarce, are often fitted with "[[Bull bar|roo bars]]" to minimise damage caused by collision. [[Hood (vehicle)|Bonnet]]-mounted devices, designed to scare wildlife off the road with [[ultrasound]] and other methods, have been devised and marketed.
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| − | If a female is the victim of a collision, animal welfare groups ask that her pouch be checked for any surviving joey, in which case it may be removed to a wildlife sanctuary or veterinary surgeon for [[Wildlife rehabilitation|rehabilitation]]. Likewise, when an adult kangaroo is injured in a collision, a [[Veterinary surgeon|vet]], the [[RSPCA Australia|RSPCA]] or the [[National Parks and Wildlife Service]] can be consulted for instructions on proper care. In New South Wales, rehabilitation of kangaroos is carried out by volunteers from [[NSW Wildlife Information and Rescue Service|WIRES]].
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| − | ===Hand-raising===
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| − | Occasionally, individuals take on the task of rearing a recovered joey themselves. The [[rule of thumb|rule-of-thumb]] says that if the joey is already covered with fur at the time of the accident (as opposed to still being in its embryonic stage), it stands a good chance of growing up properly. [[Lactose]]-free milk is required, otherwise the animal may develop [[blindness]]. They hop readily into a cloth bag when it is lowered in front of them approximately to the height where the mother's pouch would be. The joey's instinct is to "cuddle up", thereby endearing themselves to their keepers, but after hand-rearing a joey, it cannot usually be released into the wild and be expected to provide for itself immediately. Usually wildlife sanctuaries are willing to adopt kangaroos which are no longer practical, or have grown too large to contain, needing at least {{convert|1|acre|m2|sing=on}} and {{convert|7|ft|m|abbr=on}} boundary fences for a fully grown kangaroo.<!--Rewrite sentence-->{{Fact|date=October 2008}}
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| − | ==Kangaroo emblems and popular culture==
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| − | {{main|Kangaroo emblems and popular culture}}
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| − | Kangaroos have been featured on coins, as well as being used as emblems and logos. They have also been used as mascots and in the naming of sports teams and are extremely well-represented in films, television, toys and souvenirs around the world.
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| − | ==Kangaroo meat ==
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| − | {{main|Kangaroo meat}}
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| − | Kangaroo meat is used in [[barbecue]]s, [[stew]]s and various other types of cooking. The meat is also a staple part of the [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal]] diet.{{Fact|date=August 2008}}
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| − | ==See also==
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| − | {{commons|Macropus}}
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| − | *[[Embryonic diapause]]
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| − | *[[Kangaroo (meat)]]
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| − | *[[Kangaroo court]] (mock justice)
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| − | *[[Boxing Kangaroo]] (symbol)
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| − | *[[Kangaroo emblems and popular culture]]
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| | == References == | | == References == |
| − | *Dawson, Terence J. 1995. ''Kangaroos: Biology of the Largest Marsupials''. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York. Second printing: 1998. ISBN 0-8014-8262-3.
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| − | *Flannery, Timothy Fridtjof, et al. 1996. ''Tree Kangaroos: A Curious Natural History''. Reed Books, Melbourne. ISBN 0-7301-0492-3
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| − | *Underhill D. 1993. ''Australia's Dangerous Creatures'', Reader's Digest, Sydney, New South Wales, ISBN 0-86438-018-6
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| − | *Weldon, Kevin. 1985. ''The Kangaroo''. Weldons Pty. Ltd., Sydney. ISBN 0-949708-22-4
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| − | == Footnotes==
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| | {{reflist|2}} | | {{reflist|2}} |
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| − | ==External links==
| + | [[Category:Marsupials]] |
| − | *[http://kango.anu.edu.au/ The Kangaroo Genome Project] at [[Australian National University]]
| + | [[Category:Australia]] |
| − | *[http://rubens.anu.edu.au/student.projects/kangaroos/court-mate.html Courtship and Mating]
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| − | *[http://www.abc.net.au/ozfossil/megafauna/fauna/fauna.htm Prehistoric mammals]
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| − | {{Diprotodontia|M.}}
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| − | [[Category:Words and phrases of Australian Aboriginal origin]]
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| − | [[Category:Australian Aboriginal culture]]
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Kangaroos have large ears on top of their small heads, a long snout, and short arms with clawed fingers. Their legs are strong, powerful, and are made for leaping. Their feet have four toes at the end of elongated metatarsi that they rest on when standing. They also have a powerful, thick tail that is used as support when standing, a third-leg when walking slowly, and for counterbalance while leaping. Like all Marsupials, female kangaroos have a pouch on their stomachs in which they carry their young.
Female kangaroos usually only have one baby kangaroo (called a "joey") at a time. The newborn joey weighs as little as 0.03 ounces when first born, after which it crawls into its mothers pouch where it will nurse, grow, and develop. Red Kangaroo joeys will stay in their mothers pouch for about eight months and Grey Kangaroo joeys stay in there for about one year.
Consistent with their view that the fossil record as a whole does not support the evolutionary position[3][4], creationists state that there is a lack of transitional fossils showing an evolutionary origin of kangaroos. Rebecca Driver writes:
After the Flood, these kangaroos, bred from the Ark passengers, migrated to Australia. There is debate whether this migration happened over land[6] with lower sea levels during the post-flood ice age, or before the super-continent of Pangea broke apart.[7]
The idea that God simply generated kangaroos into existence there is considered by most creation researchers to be contra-Biblical.
