Why Do Kangaroos Live in Other Parts of the World?

Gondwana

• Around 160 million years ago, the supercontinent, which scientists call Gondwana, began to break apart. Gondwana consisted of Australia, Antarctica, Africa, India and South America. Australia and Antarctica remained connected until about 45 million years ago, when they began to drift apart, and Australia slowly drifted northward into the tropics. Around 33 to 23 million years ago, the interior of the Australian continent gradually began to become cooler and drier. Over time, this drying led to an expansion and diversification of drought-adapted flora. As the flora spread across the continent and the rainforests disappeared, changes occurred in the terrestrial marsupial fauna.

Kangaroo Evolution

• The drying out of Australia led to the extinction of many species of fauna. A few terrestrial marsupials lived in the remaining rainforests on the east coast of Australia. Some of the small macropods of the rainforest adapted to survive in the expanding grasslands. Larger macropods, or kangaroos, evolved from the small macropods and came to occupy the dry landscape. According to "Kangaroo: Portrait of an Extraordinary Marsupial" by Stephen Jackson and Karl Vernes, the macropods evolved from tree-dwelling possum-like ancestors. Since Australia was a separate continent, kangaroos evolved in geographical isolation from the rest of the world.

Meganesia

• Fifteen thousand years ago, the sea was more than 100 meters lower than it is today, which allowed for Australia, New Guinea, Tasmania and other islands to form a single landmass. This single landmass, which scientists refer to as Meganesia, was the only place on earth to find kangaroos. Ancestral kangaroos dispersed themselves over the landmass and adapted to different ecological niches.

Human Transport

• Since 1791, Europeans have brought kangaroos out of their natural habitats of Australia and New Guinea and transported them to different parts of the world. The first living kangaroo arrived in London in 1791. In 1845, Governor George Grey of South Australia brought five species of kangaroos to New Zealand. In the 20th century, humans established kangaroo populations in Hawaii and Europe. Toward the late 20th century, a colony of grey kangaroos was established in the Rambouillet forest located west of Paris.