''Balbaroo'' is an extinct genus of basal quadrupedal macropodiform marsupials that once lived in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

during the Late

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...

to the Middle

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

. Known primarily from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area in

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, and the Camfield Beds of the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

, ''Balbaroo'' species are considered part of the family

Balbaridae Balbaridae is an extinct family of basal Macropodoidea. The synapomorphies are divided into two areas, the dental and cranial. The dental area of this taxa can be described as having the molar lophodont and brachyodont with a hypo lophid fo ...

, which represents an early branch of kangaroo evolution. Unlike modern kangaroos, members of the ''Balbaroo'' genus were quadrupedal browsers, adapted to dense forest environments. Four species are currently recognised, ''B. camfieldensis'', ''B. fangaroo'', ''B. gregoriensis'', and ''B. nalima''.

Taxonomy

The genus was erected in 1982 to describe a new species of early marsupials, ''Balbaroo camfieldensis''. 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.

References

Marsupials of Australia Prehistoric macropods Fossil taxa described in 1983 {{paleo-marsupial-stub