Diprotodontia Temporal range: 28–0 Ma Late Oligocene – Recent |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
Superorder: | Australidelphia |
Order: |
Diprotodontia Owen, 1866 |
Suborders | |
Vombatiformes
Phalangeriformes
Macropodiformes
The Diprotodontia (/ˌdaɪˌproʊtoʊˈdɒnʃiə/; Greek: διπρωτός diprotos, meaning "two front" and οδοντος odontos meaning "teeth") are a order of about 125 species marsupial mammals including the kangaroos, wallabies, possums, koala, wombats, and many others. Extinct diprotodonts include the rhinoceros-sized Diprotodon, and Thylacoleo, the so-called "marsupial lion".
Living diprotodonts are almost all herbivores, as were most of those that are now extinct. A few insectivorous and omnivorous diprotodonts are known, but these seem to have arisen as relatively recent adaptations from the mainstream herbivorous lifestyle. The extinct thylacoleonids ("marsupial lions") are the only known group to have exhibited carnivory on a large scale.