Scientists uncover surprising links between koalas and Ice Age ‘marsupial lions’

A sleeping crow may seem a world apart from a large Ice Age predator, but scientists have uncovered the first molecular evidence linking the two.

Published in the journal Discovery Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciencesprovides the first biomolecular data linking several extinct Australian megafauna species to their living relatives.

Unlocking ancient bonds with collagen

Led by Dr Michael Buckley at the University of Manchester, an international team analyzed 51 fossil marsupial bones collected from caves and swamps across Tasmania – the last association of these giant animals. Using an advanced technique called zooarchology via mass spectrometry (ZOOMS), or collagen fingerprinting, the team was able to analyze fossils over 100,000 years old – far beyond the age limit for traditional DNA analysis.

Dr Buckley said, “Until now, we have struggled to determine how many of these are extinct species because Australia’s warm climate erodes DNA over time. However, collagen proteins survive in very old and even highly fragmented bones, allowing us to identify evolutionary relationships between traditional and living marsupials.”

Surprising connections between Australian megafauna

The most surprising discovery was that, despite being different animals in the wild, the koala and the marsupial tiger—one of the largest carnivorous mammals ever to roam Australia. This puts the two animals closer together than previously thought.

The research also provides new biomolecular data for two other extinct species. Comparison of their ancient collagen sequences confirmed that both belonged to the broader wombat-koola group, known as wombatiformes.

Extinction Mysteries and Implications for Future Research

The findings could help solve one of Australia’s biggest prehistoric mysteries surrounding the extinction of the continent’s giant animals.

During the Late Pleistocene, Australia lost close to 90% of its land animals in one of the largest extinction events in Earth’s history. Scientists are still debating whether the cause was climate change, human predation, or a combination of both.

Because Zoom can also identify tiny pieces of bone and reveal their species, it can help scientists refine the timeline of when Australia’s megafauna disappeared and when they overlapped with humans.

Dr. Buckley added, “Zooms also allows thousands of fossil samples to be analyzed instantly, so this could be a game changer for the study of extinct species. We can now identify more fossils, refine extinction histories, and better understand ancient biodiversity.”