Balbaroo

Balbaroo Temporal range: Late Oligocene–Middle Miocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Holotype skull of Balbaroo nalima
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Marsupialia
Order:	Diprotodontia
Family:	†Balbaridae
Genus:	†Balbaroo Flannery, Archer & Plane, 1983[1]
Type species
†Balbaroo camfieldensis Flannery, Archer & Plane, 1983
Other species
†B. fangaroo Cooke, 2000 †B. gregoriensis Flannery, Archer & Plane, 1983 †B. nalima Black et al, 2014
Synonyms
Nambaroo bullockensis Schwartz & Megirian, 2004

Balbaroo is an extinct genus of quadrupedal kangaroo that once lived in Australia during the Late Oligocene to the Middle Miocene.^[2] Its fossils have been found in the Northern Territory and Queensland. Four species are currently recognised, B. camfieldensis, B. fangaroo, B. gregoriensis, and B. nalima.

Taxonomy

The genus was erected in 1983 to describe a new species of early marsupials, Balbaroo camfieldensis.^[1] Since then, it has been determined that members of the genus possessed sharp canines. Despite the sharp canines, the presence of low-crowned bilophodont molars seems to indicate an herbivorous diet.^[2]

References

1. Flannery, T.F.; Archer, M.; Plane, M. (1983). "Middle Miocene kangaroos ( Macropodoidea: Marsupiala) from three localities in northern Australia, with a description of two new subfamilies". BMR Journal of Australian Geology & Geophysics. 7 (4): 287–302.
2. Black, K.H.; Travouillon, K.J.; Den Boer, W.; Kear, B.P.; Cooke, B.N.; Archer, M.; Evans, A.R (19 November 2014). "A New Species of the Basal "Kangaroo" Balbaroo and a Re-Evaluation of Stem Macropodiform Interrelationships". PLOS ONE. 9 (11): e112705. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...9k2705B. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0112705. PMC 4237356. PMID 25409233.