How South America Made the Marsupials

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Throughout the Cenozoic Era -- the era we’re in now -- marsupials and their metatherian relatives flourished all over South America, filling all kinds of ecological niches and radiating into forms that still thrive on other continents.
Thanks to Darin Croft and Velizar Simeonovski for allowing us to use illustrations that can be found in the book Horned Armadillos and Rafting Monkeys: The Fascinating Fossil Mammals of South America. www.iupress.indiana.edu/produc... .
You can also find more of Darin Croft's work at raftingmonkey.com/
And thanks as always to Ceri Thomas for the excellent metatherian illustrations! / alphynix
Produced in collaboration with PBS Digital Studios: / pbsdigitalstudios
Super special thanks to the following Patreon patrons for helping make Eons possible:
Anthony Callaghan, Anton Bryl, Jeff Graham, shelley floryd, Laura Sanborn, Henrik Peteri, Zachary Spencer, Chandler Bass, Joao Ascensao, Andrey, Ben Thorson, Robert Amling, Marcus Lejon, Ilya Murashov, Nathan Paskett, Jerrit Erickson, Merri Snaidman, David Sewall, Gabriel Cortez, Jack Arbuckle, Kevin Griffin, Robert Noah, Philip Slingerland, Todd Dittman, James Bording, Eric Vonk, Robert Arévalo, Esmeralda Rupp-Spangle, Jon Monteiro, MissyElliottSmith, Jonathan Wright, Gregory Donovan, Miles Chaston, Michael McClellan, PS, Maria Humphrey, Larry Wilson, Hubert Rady, John Vanek, Tsee Lee, Daisuke Goto, Gregory Kintz, Matt Parker, Tyson Cleary, Case Hill, Stefan Weber, Betsy Radley
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References: docs.google.com/document/d/1I...

[@lapwingfilms]

I wonder what fossils are lying under the ice on Antarctica as it was once covered in forest.

[@icollectstories5702]

Ice dragons, obviously! Who do you suppose made the glaciers?

[@thhseeking]

Back in the 70s, they found fossils of mammal-like reptiles (see "Wandering Lands and Animals" by Edwin H Colbert), including one of my favourites, "Lystrosaurus" :)

[@lsamaknight]

@@thhseeking If I'm remembering correctly that shouldn't be too much of a surprise considering post Permian extinction Lystrosaurus was one of the earliest genus to recover and proliferate. Palaeontologists have found them almost everywhere.

[@mr.boomguy]

I'm thinking the same thing. The saddest part is, er won't get to them any time soon😭! And it will be expensive!

[@Riceball01]

The LA County Museum of Natural History had a special exhibit last year that covered the Antarctic and included fossils that were found there. One of the animals discovered there was a carnivore related to Dilophosaurus and they had a mount of it but they also mentioned and displayed pieces from various herbivores as well as fossilized plants.

[@timmcdaniel6193]

3:55 Your painting of the K-Pg extinction event is incorrect. All such paintings are required to have a T rex looking at the impact.

[@miquelescribanoivars5049]

It has a Retro Quetz, at least.

[@alvaronavarro4895]

Haha

[@timmcdaniel6193]

@@theunstoppableaxeofjustice3991 I have seen some number of drawings and paintings showing the impact our just before. It's a popular illustration. Most or all did have several large dinosaurs, T rex and sauropods and such, in the foreground looking at it.

[@theunstoppableaxeofjustice3991]

@@timmcdaniel6193 not all of them across the globe lmao Earth is still a big place. So your saying if a meteor arrives your expecting 7 billion people to see it lmao i bet many people are either unaware.

[@franchufranchu119]

@@theunstoppableaxeofjustice3991 woooosh

[@NajwaLaylah]

I love my local marsupial-- the North American opossum. Why? 1) Those little heroes eat *ticks* . (Along with slugs and other things that could make a garden or shrubs hideous.) How do we ever thank them enough? 2) They're tolerated by the neighbourhood cats, which is more than I can say for some people. And by tolerated, I mean they will eat the cat food next to the cats without being bothered or bothering. 3) If you put out pulp from juicing some kind of fruit (like, pineapple), they will come cautiously to slurp it up. And it's _adorable_ . 4) If startled, they will open a mouthful of a disturbing number of teeth, to an angle that I think no placental mammal can match, and tell you *in opossum* "I KILLED A MAN"-- but, really, they're creampuffs.

[@Strawberrymilkdrink]

Do you mean the "O"possum family in general or the Virginia opossum in specific?

[@AK-ed4sn]

Cats and opossums: real recognize real.

[@nikolajovanov2587]

Another thing is they get a bad reputation as chicken predators. We have a bunch of chickens, and a possum that lives under the house. He cautiously comes out when we feed the cats and has never bothered the birds.

[@benedicitesol4429]

They are so ugly, not adorable at all.

[@Tenacious-Tiger]

@allan mallee "O" My.... 🙄

[@danstiver9135]

Omg, the Monito del Monte... I MUST PROTECT IT!

[@panchoadrenalina9141]

please do, they are endangered

[@youtubejosephwm6699]

I think near threatened or least concern

[@eliforeal5261]

I LOVE how you guys credit the artists in all your videos; and not just in the descriptions, but clearly visible on the screen. Artist credit is important, and it's nice to see such a big channel recognize this!

[@rai1879]

Scientific community is the best. Credit where credit is due.

[@idunusegoogleplus]

It is also because KZbin sides with the complainants who allege copyright infringement, crediting them avoids that.

[@finthefishsep20toma]

As an artist i agree with this wholeheartedly. It doesn't take much effort at all to credit people for their work, and its incredibly disappointing as the artist when you spend hours working on something, only for it to be grabbed and reposted without any mention of your effort :(

[@mystic_tacos]

I very much agree! (But who's Steve?? LOL)

[@lauranolastnamegiven3385]

of course they should, all creators of fiction should be credited for their work

[@biglil771]

Could you please do a video on extinct African mega fauna like the Natodomeri lion, Palaeoloxodon Recki, Pelorovis Antiquus, Sivatherium Giganteum, and Xenocyon subgenus.

[@biglil771]

Since the Natodomeri lion and Xenocyon subgenus aren't very well know here's some background information. Natodomeri lion The Natodomeri lion is a gigantic lion found within Kenyan rocks dating to 200,000 years old. The basal skull length is 380mm at minimum and since the condylobasal skull length is normally 25-35 cm longer than the basal an estimation of 410mm for the condylobasal skull length is reasonable and from this we can estimate a greatest skull length of +460mm to be reasonable. This would make the Natodomeri lion as large if not larger than the American lion and Mosbach Lion. It is believed to have been a new subspecies of lion that evolved greater sizes due to the greater abundance of mega-fauna like Pelorovis Antiquus. Xenocyon Subgenus The Xenocyon subgenus is a taxonomic group of canids that populated the globe. The two that inhabitat the African continent were X. Africanus and X. Lycanoides. The latter of which is estimated to be as large as the dire wolf. This lineage if canids is believed to have been ancestral to the African wild dog.

[@TylerGeho]

big lil Yes Please

[@bobkob]

big lil Yes Please

[@skyem5250]

Paleoloxodon was recently found to be invalid, as "Paleoloxodon" DNA show it was closer to Loxodonta cyclotis than Loxodonta cyclotis is to Loxodonta africana. L. cyclotis and L. africana are the two living species of African elephant.

[@biglil771]

@@skyem5250 May I see the study? Sounds interesting

[@solanceDarkMOW]

I'd be interested in an episode all about the Sperasodonts, thylacosmilus in particular. If we're making wishes i'd also love to see something about the Marsupial Lion, with the crazy sheering teeth.

[@justcallmeleonardo]

The...WHAT?

[@sairajmenon556]

It means that a marsupials prostate looks very similar to a placental mammal's uterus, though this is a weird topic to start our after mentioning the Thylacoleo...

[@justcallmeleonardo]

@@sairajmenon556 I don't know what I'm feeling right now.

[@sairajmenon556]

Same here. Besides, I don't think Thylacoleo Carniferex had shearing teeth at all. In fact, if you don't know, this guy had central incisors(front-most teeth) similar to rodents, yeah! And most of its premolars were just long lines making them very blade-like with shearing abilities(and now I see what you meant) beyond compare. They had very few teeth compared to modern carnivores(like the big cats) their size. They compensated it with have one big semi-opposable thumb, with a unique hunting style known only to their kind where they grabbed with their teeth and struck the final blow with their claws. Although some scientist oppose this idea(and I can see why those fossil teeth are very blunt but they probably look very different when they were put to use) as it seems a very inefficient technique. Although I think they would rather after getting a hold on to their prey they would cut them up to the point of no running away and suffocate them by clamping their jaws on the prey's mouth before death. They did have the highest bite-fore-to-body ration of any living or extinct mammalian predator on the planet, and the locking mechanism and knife-like nature of their teeth would only help them bite down harder, leaving little air to breathe and perhaps no air to breathe at all because the skull would just get crushed destroying the airway system of the nose and maybe the mouth too thus killing it, in the end, either way! But hey you never know much of the behaviour of one that is gone. Unless we rediscover them again, for which btw there is plenty of proof, but no one has photographic evidence so far, except for aboriginal painting dating back way long ago that could either be the King of Australian forest or their cousins the Thylacines which had their own unique jumping gait as they hunted kangaroos and others like them through stamina like the wolves, along with their almost 90 degrees yawn gap! I'm sorry if I'm blabbering on so much information that you may already know I just like to spout out lots of info when I get the chance to because I don't get chances like this every day you know. Hehe...

[@solanceDarkMOW]

@@justcallmeleonardo The More You Know? I guess? '__'

[@Twitchi]

like really, whats the history of this marvelous philanthropist - STEVE - where does he come from.. what traces are left to us of this always heard of but never known specimen

[@TylerGeho]

Negative

[@waynehampton7564]

Steeeeeeve!

[@xX_wiLLiam_Xx]

What

[@JimFerro]

I think he owns the Clippers.

[@Emblazened]

Give Steve an episode

[@phelanii4444]

I've been binging through eons episodes lately and I don't think I've come across a single one where Steve wasn't a Patron. Big props to Steve, as well as the rest of you Patrons.

[@valiroime]

Greeting from the future. I hope you made it through the zombie apocalypse without too many problems. Alas, Steve is no longer spoken of. We all hope that Steve is doing well, and wish them only the best in their future endeavors.

[@Okowa407]

Facts that means that the indigenous people of Bolivia evolved just like the Australian aborigines aboriginals

[@wenkeli1409]

One of those days, I would be super interested in hearing you guys talk about how scientists are able to infer so much information from so little fossil, like that single tooth.

[@latrodectusmactans7592]

That would be a great topic. Mammal teeth are incredibly distinct and well-adapted to their lifestyles, so just one tooth from a mammal provides a huge amount of information compared to, say, a crocodile tooth or even a dinosaur tooth. There’s a cartoon somewhere that parodies how a mammal paleontologist views the world: Just a huge mouth full of teeth with everything else being an afterthought.

[@AryadiSubagio]

this comment needs a vote so the PBS guys would see it.

[@adarshmohapatra5058]

I saw the recent Panda episode and I was surprised how much they could find out from a few fossils. They would look at the carbon and oxygen content. The carbon content would tell them about the diets of ancient Pandas & the oxygen content would tell them about the climate of that time. I am assuming it's because food is mostly organic matter (made of hydrocarbons) & different diets will make you have different amounts of it (like plants are made of more cellulose, while animals are made of more proteins). And all animals breathe in oxygen from the air, and different climates and temperature will cause the plants to release different amounts of oxygen, so the oxygen content would tell you about the climate . (All this is just my guess at the logic behind this) Still I was surprised at how much they could infer just from the presence of 2 elements. It seems like geologists and scientists work with whatever little they have and make the most of it. Some of the most efficient people around.

[@savary62]

Sounds like we found some of the best fantasy writers ever.

[@Okowa407]

Facts that means that the indigenous people of Bolivia evolved just like the Australian aborigines aboriginals

[@eliscanfield3913]

That shot of a backlit kangaroo kind of makes its tracking collar look like a bowtie. The idea of which is making me giggle in a very unmanly way, lol

[@danc6167]

If it isn't a mass extinction event, it's a stupid river. Poor little marsupials can't get a break

[@Dragrath1]

Don't forget the whole continent getting isolated and freezing over that probably killed more marsupials than anything else since the end cretaceous extinction....

[@mariunfabregas7533]

Not to mention the fact that Australia, their last remaining stronghold, has literally been grilled for like several months and burned millions of them alive

[@FrennisDaemon]

Natural Selection is a cruel mistress.

[@cerridianempire1653]

@@FrennisDaemon yeah it looks like evolution regretted making them

[@amyreynolds7244]

If there's one thing I've learned from watching Eons all this time, it's that being a small generalist is always gonna help you survive extinction events better than being a large specialist. ... *realizes that I'm a relatively large human specializing in Middle English Literature, a fascinating but practically useless field* *looks at the climate change data* ...well darn.

[@rosiehawtrey]

Humanity. 0 - the great dying in 80 years... Intelligent life - always a bad decision.

[@perrydowd9285]

Geoffrey Chaucer will live on after Harold Robbins dies out. You just may have found the key to save humanity. Orrrrr not.🤔

[@mainaccount3087]

I mean, me getting extinct isn't such a bad deal, now that I think about it.

[@IceSpoon]

As a chilean, it was awesome to see my fellow Monito del Monte being portrayed here. Although unimpressive to the naked eye, it truly has an amazing taxonomic history :)

[@lilianapaolaenriquez4901]

a mi solo me dio gracia

[@Okowa407]

On the intro The video says Bolivia not chile you weirdo Listen before you type you wouldn’t get it’s an amazing place like the breath taking African savanna combined with amazing highlands

[@IceSpoon]

@@Okowa407 Sure buddy. Mansplain my country

[@BiTurbo228]

​@@Okowa407...guess who didn't watch the video. Skip to 6:54. 'The Monito del Monte found in Chile'. If you're going to be obnoxious online, at least make sure you're right...

[@colpul2103]

I'd be interested in something about monotremes.

[@satoshiketchump]

Dude same

[@RandallWilks]

Especially fascinating are the reptilian characteristics of monotremes; aside from laying eggs, they have reptile like sex chromosomes, a lizard-like sprawling gait, lower body temperature (mesothermic), and one body orifice for sex and waste disposal (a 'cloaca' - Latin for 'sewer'). Monotremes, the Platypus endemic to Australia and there are 4 species of Echidnas on New Guinea, one of which also ranges threoughout much of Australia. The two locations were once part of a continent called Sahul. Echidnas are also called 'Spiney Anteaters. A fun fact is how echidnas make love; CAREFULLY.

[@cj-ace]

Only 5 different species remain of the montremes. So likewise would like to see a video on them.

[@KlavierMenn]

@@RandallWilks It is because they are more close to the base of Mammalia than any other living mammal. In fact I was watching the Aron Ra's Phylogenetic studies and there he shows where the monotremes are: in a VERY old clade called Yinotherians.

[@NormanF62]

They did make it to South America. A fossil platypus has been found there.

[@verdatum]

Wow. I feel like I should have known that marsupials started in South America already, but I think this is the first time I've heard this...This channel is fantastic.

[@vincentx2850]

Can we have an episode on mammals in the Mesozoic? Sure they live in the shadow of the dinosaurs, but they are in many ways more fascinating than we often give them credit for.

[@user-cz8tz4qz8n]

I think they included that in a video already

[@vincentx2850]

@@user-cz8tz4qz8n Well sort of... but not really. We have an episode on therapsid in the Triassic, and touched on how crown mammals expanded into various niches in the Jurassic towards the end. But there is so much to learn on that chapter of the story

[@dale9270]

I see a pbs eons episode I like before I watch Cause I'm going to like it for sure

[@thenewyoutuber4798]

Fr

[@generaldissatisfaction5397]

Next please - Australian megafauna!

[@chrismas8797]

Can you guys please do an episode on the extinct megafauna in Australia such as the marsupial lion, thylacine, diprotodon, Zaglossus hacketti, Megalibgwilia and megalania.

[@erincollins9761]

I thought there was one, but I was thinking of this one from a different channel kzbin.info/www/bejne/mZCan4t8m5WKd9U

[@Okowa407]

Facts that means that the indigenous people of Bolivia evolved just like the Australian aborigines aboriginals

[@SH-rp1ft]

I would love to see a video about how archeologists can reconstruct so much information from little remains such as a tooth etc..

[@kylep007]

I said it in another video's comment, but PBS eons needs to do a video on the Wallace Line. It's discovery was what led to Alfred Wallace to independently discover natural selection shortly after Charles Darwin.

[@icollectstories5702]

It's really one of those bizarre observations that led to some powerful statements on prehistory!

[@tsopmocful1958]

And properly began the field of biogeography.

[@thhseeking]

Wallace is usually forgotten, even though he and Darwin jointly delivered their paper. Also, I refuse to make any comment on Grommet's Line...

[@tsopmocful1958]

@@thhseeking I vaguely remember a good doco about him about ten years ago that included a group with some prominent people dedicated to raising awareness of him, and succeeded in getting a large portrait of him mounted next to the sculpture of Darwin in the lobby of the British Museum of Natural History. Wallace had a rough old life trying to survive while in pursuit of knowledge, so it's good to know that he at least has an organised cheer squad in recent years.

[@jeanmeslier9491]

I think Wallace published slightly earlier than Darwin. The trouble was Wallace published in Afrikaans. So even then English was becoming the universal scientific language.

[@snow.flower]

Gotta love the host. She always has a pin that relates to the video :-)

[@Dipstikk]

Lycopsis has coloration that allows it to blend in with the various construction workers and crossing guards that live in its environment

[@timezone5259]

Evolution of carnivorous plants please

[@MasterJedi86]

Yesss!

[@davedrewett2196]

Being from Australia I found this really fascinating. Also interesting to learn about the extinct non marsupial offshoots.

[@Timokok14]

Loved this episode. By far my favorite channel. I would love to see an episode about the history of penguins.

[@vanadiumlight]

5:02 "At least tolerated frequent social interaction" is something I try to do also

[@Empled]

Can you make a video about monotremes and where do they connect to the other branches

[@hunterscheib6882]

3 of my favorite mammals!!

[@KlavierMenn]

But I can tell you where the monotremes are in the mammal tree: As far away than a dino is from a chicken.

[@brianconnolly3267]

Always incredibly well-made videos. Thank you!

[@ras416]

At least Tolerated frequent social in interaction, which is what I try to do. LOL

[@lakrids-pibe]

I can relate to that

[@pichchoco7866]

Raven368 that is most nerdy people is... I find social interactions boring too... I rather spend time reading in bed...

[@beback_]

"I feel ya gurl."

[@Loreman72]

Introverts Unite! In their own homes On their own...

[@vapomaster6967]

2:00 - 2:05 going right would sapre some time.

[@eliforeal5261]

Are you silly? That would just take you right off the edge of the world, smh...

[@wildbytes5066]

Awesome vid! All the information you need short and to the point. Love it!

[@zray2937]

We need an episode on how on earth people can tell an animal is a marsupial from just one tooth.

[@joseedgardotejada100]

5 thumbs up!! Excellent, very informative and important information. I'm a rescuer, breeder and rehabilitator of Didelphis marsupialis down here in Panamá, Central America. Thank you very much

[@TheGadgetPanda]

What a terrific video. This was all news to me. Doesn't matter how old you get, there's always more to learn.

[@albatross4920]

1:36 that is one brightly colored marsupial

[@hunterscheib6882]

It was cold and wanted a sweater!

[@MargoMB19]

This is the first new video on this channel since I subscribed a couple days ago, got ridiculously excited to see the notification!

[@GerardWay4President]

Hooray! More PBS EONS! These videos are like bedtime stories to me.

[@mrmagoo4134]

I never tire of your videos always brilliant, thank you

[@SurrealKangaroo]

Thanks for this. I always wanted a video on this subject.

[@legoshi7350]

Your videos always make me happy, thanks

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Thanks to all you guys and gals....!

[@brandnamevideos8419]

Love the videos. One thing though. I think I speak for everyone when I say this but its about time we met or learned about Steve.. Even a 3 min video but we must know. Steve!!! Its time to show yourself Steve!!

[@zuaniaychapi]

4:57 "it tolerated social interaction,which is what i try to do" IT KILLED ME XD

[@DrThunder88]

Oh my gosh...this was a topic I suggested! I am definitely putting that on my resume.

[@LiquidCool]

You ave such a pleasant voice. It's nice hearing you explain everything :-)

[@matthewkehoe4015]

When a new episode of Eons pops up only one thing to do.. sit down.. shut up .. and listen.. great video and always great content

[@raychang8648]

Hello. This was my first Eons video (as per Hank's suggestion on a SciShow video.) I really enjoyed this! (Of course I liked, subscribed, and will now get full notifications.) Keep up the good work!

[@Neenerella333]

I've been waiting for this!!

[@dustyprater7884]

I knew that Opossum I saw yesterday was a sign. Keep up the good work!!😁

[@coolwatterson2543]

I love your guys videos keep it going!

[@DcCock]

I would really like to see a video on the diversification on algaes as odd as that sounds. I find it crazy that plants are derived from green algaes and that brown, red, and blue algaes all still exist and are plant-like but never became like the plants we know today.

[@littleravendesigns5587]

Love to hear more about the evolution of marsupials! They are my favs especially the tassy devil

[@alioramus1637]

Great content! Maybe next time a video about alvarezsauridae? interesting theropods for sure!

[@parastoorazzaghi6952]

I love your show and I like to learn more about marsupials. Can you make more videos? 😊

[@phenix4181]

I would love to see one of your videos hypothese what's going to happen next. As in, depending which niches are filled and not, what might fill these niches and hypothese on what the world might look like in the future.

[@NoobPTFO]

The Lycopsis illustration is adorable! Looks like it had a yellow shirt on!

[@sherbet3018]

please do a video on monotremes!! they're weird and wonderful and id be so interested to learn more

[@BinyaminTsadikBenMalka]

Well done and researched. It would be nice to get into the actual biology and advantage that marsupials had.

[@coolpaulmechanic]

So informative thank you so much

[@tiyas5378]

Monito del Monte! I love you! You little ball of fur!!

[@johnkelly7757]

Yay for the marsupials & metatherians!!

[@TheAutobotPower]

Ah, the only time Bolivia had the sea to see it. XD

[@mypanexogamouslineage965]

I'm Peruvian so I love your comment.

[@issagahan6693]

Nope, in Toro Toro there's fossilized corals, so we had seas many times

[@friendlyporkchop]

would love a video on which modern day species have been around the longest and what has helped them survive so long

[@tubarao1143]

Great episode!

[@constance.mcentee]

I love videos like this. They ALWAYS lead me into Wikipedia rabbit holes for further reading.

[@Binarokaro]

How do you uncover information about an extinct animal with a single tooth? I'd love to see a video on what archaeological process goes into figuring out all that information

[@davidrobles4921]

One of my favorite episodes! Wonder if there will be more on the old world Metatherians like the Herpetotheriids?!

[@shearedsheep7009]

Love the music

[@clairebear2741]

listening to Eons videos/podcast while you sleep makes you have really weird dreams, highly recommend

[@thedoruk6324]

Chapter II: How the Massive Goliath of Fiery Inferno caused from human-started bushfires *Unmade* Marsupials

[@cintronproductions9430]

Not funny.

[@thedoruk6324]

@@humanrightsadvocate No one in the entire KZbin site ever likes Prude people such as Grammar N's. You are a prime example

[@thedoruk6324]

@@cintronproductions9430 Not meant to be 'funny' ; not everything in life is; some words've other meanings

[@hamarbiljungskile8953]

You are a sad human being.

[@key3605]

Another amazing video

[@meikahidenori]

Really would like one on monotremes one day. Would love to know what playtapus and echidna relatives are

[@krissyb1980]

Marsupials! Very fascinating video. I became interested in the Thylacine several years ago (btw love your pin) and have done lots of research on marsupials and even with the internet is is somewhat difficult to fine much about where marsupial species came from.

[@urbanp0tions967]

I really wanna see a video on the evolution of placental mammals

[@Dragrath1]

They have been teasing it for a long time haven't they....

[@thejurkshot]

I love the videos you guys make. Keep it going and I always look forward to the next video.

[@thepromise7894]

You all do a wonderful job here; I’m only sorry I didn’t know about this field as a young man - it’s sure more interesting than advertising sales 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@Prayukth]

Cradle of marsupials..nicely put

[@narwhalian233]

Great Work Eons team! Can you do one on the Steller Sea cow’s lineage?

[@scaper8]

The whole order of Sirenia that includes manatees and dugongs would be very cool! Along with their relation to the order that contains elephants, Proboscidea.

[@foreyfriend145]

7:30 "Monito del Monte" is (also) found in the southermost forests on the Atlantic coast, but is called "Diablillo (can't remember the whole name)".

[@Persivefire]

4:37 whoever name this genus is a flippin' genius

[@erincollins9761]

So what exactly is the difference between marsupials & other metatherians? Is it the pouch?

[@simonwaldock9689]

I'd like to know too.

[@mattj4005]

Nothing earth-shattering. Marsupials comprise all living metatherians and all of the descendants of their common ancestor, while metatherians are all mammals more closely related to marsupials (=living metatherians) than placental mammals (=living eutherians). So all marsupials are metatherians, but not vice versa. Whether or not primitive metatherians had a pouch isn't entirely clear, but modern marsupials have special bones to support the pouch--epipubic bones--and most or all metatherians had these. So did most other fossil mammals, including primitive eutherians, so the earliest relatives of placentals may have even had pouches.

[@steveqhanson6835]

Great video. Thanks! Could you explain how metatherians differ from marsupials? Specifically how did they bear their young? Are they similar to eutherians in that respect or maybe monotremes? Thanks again.

[@abzu96]

Opossums are my favorite marsupials.

[@LoudmouthReviews]

I see them every now and then at night here in Michigan. Nice little travelers from South America

[@tsopmocful1958]

Luckily for them Thylacoleo carnifex no longer exists.

[@LoudmouthReviews]

@@tsopmocful1958 Thylacoleo was closer related to wombats than to possums

[@jiminverness]

7:55 Opossums, not possums. Possums are something completely different (and live in Australia).

[@carlosrubio-valdez1681]

❤❤❤❤❤ one of my favorite histories

[@miskatonic763]

How could they tell by a single tooth that Khasia was a marsupial? How can you tell if any fossil is a marsupial, monotreme, or mammel? Especially in one's as old as the dinosaurs? I haven't heard of DNA lasting that long. Are their pelvis shaped different from placental mammals?

[@rickkwitkoski1976]

ancient old ones Because people SPECIALIZE in examining teeth of mammals (and marsupials) and can tell by looking at them what kind of animal (its dietary habits etc.) it is. I have found two teeth, on beaches, that I wasn't looking for. I identified them and was corroborated by someone more expert at tooth identification. I'm a rank amateur at it. One was a lower incisor from a HUMAN. The other was a canine from a juvenile seal. If you know what you are looking for then teeth are very good for identification. In the video, she says that one marsupial had square molars like a primate. Like YOU! Carnivores like dogs and cats don't and herbivores like cows, sheep, horses have very differently constructed molars. Google mammalian tooth identification and you should find dozens of images explaining this.

[@rommaninc]

La forma cómo pronuncia "monito del monte" :3

[@gamermthegreat8229]

Yay more eons :)

[@Troutslayer_]

I love this channel

[@satoshiketchump]

Please do a video on monotremes, how they came to be and how are the metatherians and eutherians related to them.

[@JuanHernandez-nl9wo]

6:55 okay that name is just too cute.

[@Wynters01]

Could you guys do a vid of Suminia getmanovi? There aren't any good videos on this little guy and I love the fact that there was a stem mammal with thumbs.

[@iNoobisOP]

Amazing video

[@thecrippledpancake9455]

I was going to sleep until I saw PBS Eons post.

[@egillskallagrimson5879]

Btw that flood sounds interesting, and seems that was somehow significant and spontaneous, I would like to hear about it.

[@lorenzo--rossi]

So interesting!

[@omaralfaro6506]

Hi! Amazing channel btw xD when does the vocal cords evolved? im guessing long after sound detection xD

[@dariusrose9909]

Please do an episode on Andrewsarchus!!! You Deinochierus episode makes me think it’ll be a good one.