Osphranter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Osphranter[1] | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Red kangaroo | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Diprotodontia |
| Family: | Macropodidae |
| Genus: | Osphranter Gould, 1842[1] |
| Type species | |
| Osphranter antilopinus[2] Gould, 1842 | |
Osphranter is a genus of large marsupials in the family Macropodidae, commonly known as kangaroos and wallaroos (among other species). It contains the largest extant marsupial, the red kangaroo (O. rufus).
In 2019, a reassessment of macropod taxonomy determined that Osphranter and Notamacropus, formerly considered subgenera of Macropus, should be moved to the genus level.[3] This change was accepted by the Australian Faunal Directory in 2020.[4]
The genus has a fossil record that extends back at least into the Pliocene.[5]
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