| Macropus[1] Temporal range:Miocene - Present | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Eastern grey kangaroo | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Diprotodontia |
| Family: | Macropodidae |
| Subfamily: | Macropodinae |
| Genus: | Macropus Shaw, 1790 |
| Type species | |
| Macropus giganteus Shaw, 1790 | |
Macropus, from theAncient Greek wordsμακρός (makrós), meaning "long", andπούς (pous), meaning "foot", is amarsupialgenus in the familyMacropodidae. It has twoextant species of large terrestrialkangaroos. Thirteen known extinct species are recognised. Thetype species is theeastern grey kangaroo.
In 2019, a reassessment of macropod taxonomy determined thatOsphranter andNotamacropus, formerly considered subgenera, should be moved to the genus level.[2] This change was accepted by theAustralian Faunal Directory in 2020.[3]
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
 | Western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) |  |
 | Eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) |  |
A currently-unnamedPleistoceneMacropus species fromAustralia was the largest kangaroo ever, with an estimated mass of around 274 kg (~604 lb).[4]
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