Marsupials are a unique group of mammals known for one defining trait—their young are born extremely early and continue developing in a pouch. Kangaroos, koalas, wombats, and opossums all fall into this group. Unlike placental mammals, marsupials don’t form complex placentas to nourish embryos in the womb. Instead, their babies, called joeys, crawl into the mother’s pouch shortly after birth to latch onto a teat and grow in safety.
Most marsupials live in Australia and nearby islands, where they evolved in isolation and diversified into a variety of forms and habitats. From the tree-dwelling sugar glider to the burrowing wombat, marsupials fill ecological roles similar to rodents, carnivores, and grazing animals on other continents. Despite their differences, they share the remarkable feature of post-birth development in the pouch.
This edition of World-Wide Q&A spotlights marsupials for their exceptional life strategy. Their evolution shows how nature can take many different paths to survival, shaping some of the most iconic and unusual animals on Earth.