The origin of kangaroos and their evolutionary history

A kangaroo is an animal with a bag on its chest. Kangaroos originate from Australia, Papua New Guinea and other places. As a unique animal in Australia, kangaroos have always been regarded as the symbol of Australia. Because of their reputation, Australia is also known as kangaroo country. The name "Kangaroo" originated from a misunderstanding and means "I don't know" in the language of indigenous peoples. When Europeans came to Oceania and saw a kangaroo for the first time, they asked the local residents what kind of animal it was and what its name was. However, the local residents who did not understand their language did not know what the white people were saying, so they said in native dialect: "Kang Ga Er" (I don't know). So, this sentence became the name of "Kangaroo" intact. The name "kangaroo" in Chinese is translated based on the characteristic that kangaroos have a marsupial.

All kangaroos, no matter how big they are, have one thing in common: strong and powerful hind legs with long feet; the Crural index of the kangaroo (i.e. (calf length/thigh length) × 100 index, or (tibia length/femur length) ×100 index) reached 172, among which the red kangaroo reached 202, far exceeding other animals, while the average for humans is only over 80. Kangaroo jumps instead of running. It can jump up to 4 meters and as far as 13 meters. It can be said to be the highest and farthest jumping mammal. Most kangaroos live on the ground and are easily distinguished from other animals by the way they jump on their strong hind legs. Kangaroos use their tails for balance during jumps and as a fifth leg when they move slowly. The kangaroo's tail is thick, long and full of muscles. It can not only support the kangaroo's body when it is resting, but also help the kangaroo jump faster and further when it jumps.

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