The Marsupial as a Biomedical Model

Abstract

Marsupials are viviparous, placental mammals that have evolved independently from the same ancestor as the eutherian mammals, which include humans and the principal laboratory animals. As a result of this evolutionary divergence, marsupial structure and function embody alternative solutions to many of the problems of mammalian existence. This dichotomy between marsupials and eutherian species suggests the use of marsupial models to provide innovative laboratory approaches that may facilitate experimental access to specific aspects of normal and abnormal human anatomy and physiology. Those characteristics that endow marsupials with their unique but largely unexploited biomedical research potential are identified and evaluated.