Abstract
KANGAROOS (family Macropodidae, order Marsupialia) are the only known group of large Australian herbivorous marsupials ever to have evolved major cursorial specialisations. During fast locomotion macropodids progress by a ricochet (bipedal saltation) involving a series of rebounds in which the two hind feet strike the ground at the same moment or practically synchronously and the forefeet not at all1. In macropodids the axis of the hind foot is through digit IV which is unique among large cursorial mammals; perissodactyls and most rodents have the axis through digit III, while in artiodactyls, carnivores and leporids it lies between digit III and IV2. These differences are the result of preadaptive complexes in the immediate ancestors of these groups.
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