Kangaroos With Fangs: Why This Prehistoric Animal Went Extinct

[Judi Lynn]

BY ELANA GLOWATZ @ELANAGLOW ON 10/13/17 AT 2:04 PM

The ancestors of modern kangaroos may have fought off some prehistoric vampires to get where they are today — scientists say the Australian marsupials could have won an evolutionary battle with another type of kangaroo that had fangs.

This was back in the days when kangaroos were smaller and had not yet developed the ability to hop. While carnivores like wolves use their fangs to lock onto their animal prey, scientists believe the now-extinct group of fanged kangaroos were vegetarians. Instead of having a function for eating, the teeth may have played a role in mating.

“There is a lot of research to be done before we can be sure what their canine teeth were used for but some have suggested they were used to attract potential mates,” researcher Kaylene Butler said a statement from the University of Queensland.

Scientists are looking for more clues about what these creatures were like and why they disappeared, and recent findings about when they lived could push us toward better understanding them.

More:
http://www.ibtimes.com/kangaroos-fangs-why-prehistoric-animal-went-extinct-2601246

[Laffy Kat]

1. Mmmm-k. As much as I love roos, kinda glad this species failed survival.

[Thor_MN]

2. Interesting. But I really dislike misleading headlines, especially in journals...

I don't know how a rational person could write a headline that implies an answer, when the article has no more than questions. Why did it go extinct? With a question mark, the headline would be OK. But without one, it implies they have the answer. I don't get it.

[pansypoo53219]

3. there is a deer w/ fangs in the Himalayas.

but it eats moss.