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Glite Dictionary
genus Macropus

genus Macropus

9.1
A group of animals like kangaroos and wallabies that live in Australia
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : género Macropus
  • The genus Macropus includes the well-known red kangaroo and several species of wallabies.

Examples

  • The genus Macropus includes various species of kangaroos.

  • Scientists have studied the evolutionary history of the genus Macropus in Australia.

  • All members of the genus Macropus are characterized by their powerful hind legs and long feet.

  • Did you know that the genus Macropus contains wallabies?

  • The genus Macropus includes the well-known red kangaroo and several species of wallabies.

  • All members of the genus Macropus are characterized by their powerful hind legs and long feet.

  • Scientists have studied the evolutionary history of the genus Macropus in Australia.

Synonyms

Macropus
vsgenus Macropus
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of animals like kangaroos and wallabies that live in Australia and nearby islands

is identified as the family's type genus rather than noting geographic range

Surface Forms

genus Macropus singular
genera Macropus plural

Morphology

genus + Macropus

The phrase is a straightforward taxonomic composition: 'genus' denotes a biological rank and 'Macropus' is the name of that genus, so the overall meaning is directly derivable from the constituents. Taxonomic naming is cross-linguistically regular (e.g. 'género Macropus', 'genre Macropus'), so a learner who knows both words will understand the phrase.

Etymology

Genus Macropus comes from old Greek words macro and pus, meaning 'large' and 'foot'. Scientists use this name for the main group of kangaroos and wallabies because these animals have big feet, so the name helps remind us of that feature.