Ancient relatives of koalas discovered in Australian fossil sites
- Fossils of Lumakoala blackae indicate koala ancestors existed 25 million years ago.
- Lumakoala blackae links koalas to other ancient marsupials like kangaroos and wombats.
- Teeth analysis shows an evolutionary connection between Lumakoala and marsupials from northeast Australia.
- Discovery extends fossil record of this koala ancestor back 30 million years.
- New fossils like Lumakoala greatly improve understanding of prehistoric life in Australia.