The Tammar Wallaby, Macropus eugenii: A Model Kangaroo for the Study of Developmental and Reproductive Biology

INTRODUCTION

The tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) is the best-studied marsupial in terms of its reproduction and development. It fares well in captivity, is large enough to take serial blood samples from, and its young are accessible in the pouch for experimental manipulation. These features have made it an excellent model for both physiological and molecular research. It is a seasonal, monovular breeder, but also has a lactational control of its reproduction, as well as embryonic diapause. As in all marsupials, the composition of the milk changes throughout the lengthy lactation, and the dynamic changes that occur in the genes and secreted proteins of the mammary gland have now been characterized. Studies of the tammar have contributed to our understanding of the control of reproduction in all mammals, and more recently, have helped clarify the endocrine and molecular aspects of sexual differentiation. The completion of the tammar wallaby genome will facilitate further study of this marsupial.