Discovering Australia's Hidden Gem: The Marsupial Mole

Have you ever thought about what kind of animals live beneath the surface of Australia? One amazing creature that calls this vast land home is the marsupial mole. Scientists from the University of Melbourne recently dug into the secrets of this peculiar animal by examining an old specimen from a museum. The results were quite surprising! Unlike regular moles found in Africa and the northern hemisphere, these marsupial moles are closely related to bandicoots and bilbies. Isn't that fascinating? It's like they have a secret family history that scientists are just starting to piece together. One interesting finding was that these moles have an extra gene for a protein called haemoglobin, which helps carry oxygen around the body. Scientists believe this extra gene might help them thrive in their low-oxygen underground world. You might be wondering why these moles look a bit odd. Well, they've been living underground for so long that they've lost much of their ability to see. Over millions of years, they first lost their color vision and then their lens sight. Talk about a long history of living underground! Even though scientists have learned a lot about these creatures, there's still much more to uncover. Maybe you'll be the one to make the next big discovery about the marsupial mole! Indigenous people of the Aṉangu group have their own name for these moles: "itjaritjari. " They can be found all over Australia, from the north-west to the center and even down south. Isn't that cool? Their ancestors once lived in rainforests in north Queensland, which is quite different from the desert they live in today. Other scientists have found fossils showing that these moles had ancestors similar to bandicoots. This means they've been part of Australia's unique wildlife for a very long time. However, these moles are what scientists call "super elusive. " That means researchers rarely see them in the wild. It's like they lead a secret life that we know very little about. Dr. Sean Buckley from Edith Cowan University called these moles "almost the perfect poster child for Australia's fantastic and bizarre animals. " He's right, isn't he? Marsupial moles are one of those special creatures that make Australia's wildlife so interesting. And that's why it's crucial to protect them and learn more about their hidden world.