Surprise in the kangaroo family tree

Ironically, it is jumping genes that indicate the need for a reorganization of the kangaroos’ phylogenetic tree. According to a new study, the swamp wallaby is more closely related to the remaining wallaby species and the large red and grey kangaroos and wallaroos than previously assumed. This study was the first to examine the relationships within the kangaroo genus Macropus on the basis of retrotransposons, genes that literally jump across the genetic material.