Scientists have discovered in Australia the remains of a previously unknown species of fossil marsupials that lived on Earth about 25 million years ago.. Named Mukupirna fortidentata, the new species is described by researchers as "

Fragments of the animal's skull, bone and jaw have been found at a site near Alice Springs in central Australia.. The find sheds light on how modern marsupials evolved, researchers say..

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According to scientists, the weight of the creature reached 50 kilograms.. This made him one of the largest marsupials that lived at that time.. However, it is much smaller than the largest known marsupial fossil, Diprotaton optatum, which weighed 2,500 kilograms..

Scientists have also found the remains of a new species that was likely an ancient relative of the opossum.. They were discovered at the site known as Pwerte Marnte Marnte. Scientists hope that further studies of this region will provide more information about the evolution of ancient marsupials..

Previously, paleontologists have discovered in Australia the remains of fossil eagles that were large enough to carry large prey.. It is possible that they could carry the hobbit, as in the Lord of the Rings trilogy by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.