Kangaroo Development

Embryology - 16 Apr 2024 Expand to Translate
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Introduction

Red-necked wallaby

Macropodid marsupial have short five digit forelimbs and large four digit hindlimbs specially adapted for hopping. The hindlimb digits differ from mammals by a missing digit 1, fused digits 2 and 3 and an elongated digit 4.

tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii)

Historic Australian Animal
Historic Embryology: 1834 Early Kangaroo \| 1880 Platypus Cochlea \| 1887 Monotremata and Marsupialia \| 1910 Eastern Quoll \| 1915 The Monotreme Skull \| 1939 Early Echidna The Hill Collection contains much histology of echidna and platypus embryonic development. Embryology History \| Historic Disclaimer

Other Marsupials
Monito del Monte Development \| Opossum Development

Historic Embryology
1897 Pig \| 1900 Chicken \| 1901 Lungfish \| 1904 Sand Lizard \| 1905 Rabbit \| 1906 Deer \| 1907 Tarsiers \| 1908 Human \| 1909 Northern Lapwing \| 1909 South American and African Lungfish \| 1910 Salamander \| 1951 Frog \| Embryology History \| Historic Disclaimer

Some Recent Findings

The tammar wallaby genome and transcriptome A cross-journal collection of articles from the tammar wallaby genome and transcriptome sequencing project. BMC Genomics
Desert hedgehog is a mammal-specific gene expressed during testicular and ovarian development in a marsupial.^[1] "These data suggest that there is a highly conserved role for DHH signalling in the differentiation and function of the mammalian testis and that DHH may be necessary for marsupial ovarian development. The receptors PTCH1 and PTCH2 are highly conserved mediators of hedgehog signalling in both the developing and adult marsupial gonads. Together these findings indicate DHH is an essential therian mammal-specific morphogen in gonadal development and gametogenesis."
Developmental origins of precocial forelimbs in marsupial neonates^[2] "We present the genome sequence of the tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii, which is a member of the kangaroo family and the first representative of the iconic hopping mammals that symbolize Australia to be sequenced. The tammar has many unusual biological characteristics, including the longest period of embryonic diapause of any mammal, extremely synchronized seasonal breeding and prolonged and sophisticated lactation within a well-defined pouch. Like other marsupials, it gives birth to highly altricial young, and has a small number of very large chromosomes, making it a valuable model for genomics, reproduction and development. The genome has been sequenced to 2x coverage using Sanger sequencing, enhanced with additional next generation sequencing and the integration of extensive physical and linkage maps to build the genome assembly. We also sequenced the tammar transcriptome across many tissues and developmental time points. Our analyses of these data shed light on mammalian reproduction, development and genome evolution: there is innovation in reproductive and lactational genes, rapid evolution of germ cell genes, and incomplete, locus-specific X inactivation. We also observe novel retrotransposons and a highly rearranged major histocompatibility complex, with many class I genes located outside the complex. Novel microRNAs in the tammar HOX clusters uncover new potential mammalian HOX regulatory elements."

Taxon

Taxonomy ID: 9322

Genbank common name: kangaroo

Inherited blast name: marsupials

Rank: species

Genetic code: Translation table 1 (Standard)

Mitochondrial genetic code: Translation table 2 (Vertebrate Mitochondrial)

Lineage ( full )

cellular organisms; Eukaryota; Opisthokonta; Metazoa; Eumetazoa; Bilateria; Coelomata; Deuterostomia; Chordata; Craniata; Vertebrata; Gnathostomata; Teleostomi; Euteleostomi; Sarcopterygii; Tetrapoda; Amniota; Mammalia; Theria; Metatheria; Diprotodontia; Macropodidae; Macropus

Links: Taxonomy Browser Macropus

Development Overview

short pregnancy period (tammar wallaby 26.5 days)
pregnancy can be maternally delayed (diapause) at blastocyst stage
born in altricial (underdeveloped) state
development continues attached to a teat in the pouch
during pouch period growth controlled by milk composition changes
immune system, thyroid and thermoregulation develops after birth

Tammar Wallaby

The following images are from a recent paper on placental evolution.^[3]

Wallaby Embryo and Fetus
Embryo and Membranes day 18
Embryo day 18
Fetus day 23
Fetus day 25

Tammar Wallaby Limb Development^[4]

The development of tammar fetal limbs at selected stages before birth. (A) day 19, (B) day 20, (C) day 22, (D) day 24 and (E) day 25 (one day before birth).

Tammar Limbs: day 19-25 | day 19 | day 20 | day 22 | day 24 | day 25 | Limb Development | Kangaroo Development

Genome

The tammar wallaby karyotype (2 n = 16) consists of 7 autosomes and the two sex chromosomes.^[5]

Gonad Development

The following data is from the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) study.^[6]

Female ovary

migrate caudally between days 10 and 20 after birth.
gubernaculum differentiates into:
- round ligament in the abdomen
- extra-abdominally as the ilio-marsupialis muscle of the mammary glands.

Male testis

migrate to the internal inguinal ring by day 20 post partum (pp).
migrate then to the scrotum between days 20 and 65 pp.
cremaster muscle development begins day 10 pp and structure completed by day 60 pp.
inguinal canal closed between days 50 and 60 pp.

Rock-Wallaby

Rock-wallaby Australian taxa distribution^[7]

Taxa are colored in accordance with their chromosomal groupings:

red - brachyotis group
yellow - xanthopus group
blue - lateralis group
green - penicillata group

Mitochondrial coding genes - 12 genes, 11,373 bp.

References

↑ <pubmed>22132805 </pubmed>
↑ <pubmed>21854559</pubmed>Genome Biol.
↑ <pubmed>21854600</pubmed>| PMC3170617 | Evodevo.
↑ <pubmed>22235805</pubmed>| BMC Dev Biol.
↑ <pubmed>17822525</pubmed>| BMC Evol Biol.
↑ <pubmed>12363275</pubmed>
↑ Potter S, Bragg JG, Blom MPK, Deakin JE, Kirkpatrick M, Eldridge MDB and Moritz C (2017) Chromosomal Speciation in the Genomics Era: Disentangling Phylogenetic Evolution of Rock-wallabies. Front. Genet. 8:10. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2017.00010

Reviews

Articles

Books

Life of Marsupials by Hugh Tyndale-Biscoe Publisher: CSIRO Publishing (2005).
Kangaroo - A Portrait of an Extraordinary Marsupial by Stephen Jackson and Karl Vernes Publisher: Allen & Unwin (2010).

Search PubMed

Search PubMed: Kangaroo development | Macropus eugenii | marsupial development

External Links

External Links Notice - The dynamic nature of the internet may mean that some of these listed links may no longer function. If the link no longer works search the web with the link text or name. Links to any external commercial sites are provided for information purposes only and should never be considered an endorsement. UNSW Embryology is provided as an educational resource with no clinical information or commercial affiliation.

NSW Government Information
Newborn Baby Grey Kangaroo - Attenborough - Life of Mammals - BBC video
Birth of the Red Kangaroo (1965) - CSIRO video 1 | video 2 video 3
NHMRC A guide to the use of Australian native mammals in Biomedical research (1990) - PDF

Glossary Links

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Cite this page: Hill, M.A. (2024, April 16) Embryology Kangaroo Development. Retrieved from https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Kangaroo_Development

What Links Here?

[1] <pubmed>22132805 </pubmed>

[2] <pubmed>21854559</pubmed>Genome Biol.

[3] <pubmed>21854600</pubmed>| PMC3170617 | Evodevo.

[4] <pubmed>22235805</pubmed>| BMC Dev Biol.

[5] <pubmed>17822525</pubmed>| BMC Evol Biol.

[6] <pubmed>12363275</pubmed>

[Potter2017-7] Potter S, Bragg JG, Blom MPK, Deakin JE, Kirkpatrick M, Eldridge MDB and Moritz C (2017) Chromosomal Speciation in the Genomics Era: Disentangling Phylogenetic Evolution of Rock-wallabies. Front. Genet. 8:10. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2017.00010

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