Marsupials

The marsupials constitute a group of mammals separated from the others by their origin and by anatomical and physiological features. They have a very short gestation period and the offspring are born in a state of great immaturity, complete their development strongly linked to maternal breasts, which in many species are protected by a pocket-shaped abdominal wall fold: the marsupium. This cavity serves as a refuge for the young even after the period of breastfeeding. The marsupials originated between 113 and 91 million years ago (Cretaceous period) in America, although there is a discrepancy as to whether their rise was in North or South America. Subsequently, they migrated to Europe and Asia, on the one hand, and Australia through Antarctica, on the other. Currently, there are about 250 species distributed exclusively in America and Oceania. They occupy different environments and achieve great diversity in their morphology and eating habits.