The+Wallion+(Future)


 * Prehistoric Animal (Giant Short-Faced Kangaroo) Present Animal (Wallaby)**



The **Wallion** or //**Macropus Leous**//, evolved as a separate species of macropod around 700,000 years ago. Wallion traits were detected in the DNA of its ancestor, the Wallaby, as far back as the 41st century AD, shortly after the Great Nuclear War. The species is widespread in the semi-arid grasslands of Australia, where it is protected by the Australian Government as an endangered species.

Standling up to 2 metres tall, the Wallion can weigh up to 140 kilograms, making it the largest surviving marsupial in the world.

It is hypothesized that at the end of the Great Nuclear War, when the United States of Eurasia dropped the Great Hydrogen Bomb on Australia, killing most wildlife and scorching the land, wallabies were forced to adapt to the lack of plant life by gradually becoming omnivores, like the metalope. Through a remarkable example of convergent evolution, accelerated by mutations caused by radioactive fallout, wallabies developed a skull structure very similar to that of the //Panthera leo//, or lion.

The following report describes both the habitat of the Wallion, and five different structural, behavioural and physiological adaptations that this animal has evolved in order to thrive in its environment.

= Scientific Classification =


 * ** Level ** || ** Classification ** ||
 * Kingdom || Animalia ||
 * Phylum || Chordata ||
 * Class || Mammalia ||
 * Infraclass || Marsupialia ||
 * Order || Diprotodontia ||
 * Family || Macropodidae ||
 * Genus || Macropus ||
 * Species || M. Leous ||

= Habitat =

The Wallion thrives on the grasslands of Eastern Australia. Each year is separated into a mild, relatively wet summer and a cold, dry winter. The regulation of Australia’s climate is managed by the Australian Department of Climate Control, which uses satellites to manipulate cloud cover, wind direction and precipitation, among many other things. If the Australian Government feels that a slight alteration to the climate of the continent is needed to benefit the habitat of Australia’s protected wildlife, adjustments to the Australian climate will be made. Generally temperatures are kept between 15 and 30 degrees Celsius all year round.
 * Climate**

Wallions can be found in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. They live on grasslands, shrublands and savannahs, similar to the natural habitat of [|lions]. As the population of Wallions increases, their geographical range will also expand. It is predicted that the geographical range of Wallions will double within the next 50 years.
 * Geographical Range[[image:Untitled-12.png align="right"]]**

Wallions are the only species of omnivorous marsupials known to humans. Their diet consists of a wide variety of plant food, including grasses and leaves. They also consume meat, including possums, birds, kangaroos and occasionally other species of wallaby. Wallions generally prefer to eat plants if given the chance, and will only hunt when they believe that the prey is injured or vulnerable.
 * Diet**

Australian grasslands are obviously dominated by thousands of different types of grasses. Flowering plants grow among the grasses, with wildflowers blooming in spring and summer. The grasslands biome is home to a wide variety of animals, including mice, dingos, snakes, lizards, insects, wallabies and kangaroos. Wallions, along with dingos, are one of the few apex predators in the region, with no predators.
 * Flora and Fauna**



= Adaptations and Environmental Pressures =

One of the most obvious and practical physical adaptations of the Wallion are its large, muscular hind legs and oversized feet. In fact, //Macropodidae,// the family that wallabies and kangaroos belong to, is Greek for “big foot”. All wallabies (and kangaroos) have the unique ability to store elastic potential energy in their tendons within their hind legs. This allows Wallions to propel themselves by using the spring action of their tendons as opposed to using muscular effort. This saves valuable energy when the Wallion is travelling across the Australian bush.
 * Adaptation 1 (Structural):**

As a result of this adaptation, wallabies have the ability to travel swiftly across the Australian grasslands while exerting very little effort. This not only enables wallabies to locate food much quicker than most other Australian animals, but also allows Wallions to accelerate rapidly at the slightest sign of movement, catching up to their prey within seconds.

One possible environmental pressure that could have stimulated the gradual development of big, strong hind legs in Wallions is the sheer vastness of the Australian continent combined with the generally low fertility of Australian land. These two factors mean that the distance between two food sources for the Wallion may be very far. Wallions developed their large legs and efficient method of travelling to allow them to reach food faster. This increases the chance of survival.


 * Adaptation 2 (Structural):**

One of the most distinctive structural adaptations of the Wallion is its mane, which looks remarkably similar to that of the African lion. The mane makes Wallions appear larger, providing an excellent intimidation display; this aids the Wallion during confrontations with other Wallions and with the species' chief competitor in Australia, the dingo. The colour and size of the mane is associated with genetics, climate and sexual maturity; the rule of thumb is the fuller and darker the mane, the healthier the Wallion. A Wallion’s mane also provides warmth during winter months, this was vital for the species’ survival during the mini Ice Age that occurred 500,000 years ago.

As a result of this adaptation, Wallions can scare away other predators, reducing competition for food. The mane also provides some degree of shelter from the elements, especially during winter months. This increases the Wallion’s chances of survival and reproduction.

One environmental pressure that could have given rise to the Wallion’s mane is competition for food in the Australian ecosystem. Dingoes have traditionally been the apex predator in Australia. When wallabies evolved into omnivores, they had to compete with dingoes and other existing carnivores for a limited amount of prey. Wallions evolved manes to intimidate dingoes, scaring them away so that the Wallion can hunt more food. Another environmental pressure could have possibly been fights with the dingo for food, a Wallion’s mane would have softened blows to the neck, the most vulnerable part of the Wallion, allowing them to win more fights and therefore survive to reproduce.

Like the wallabies and kangaroos that came before it, one structural adaptation of the Wallion was its muscular tail. The tail of the Wallion serves as a steadying “rudder” when leaping, and can function as a third leg when the Wallion is stationary and resting. The tail may also give extra traction to the kangaroo as it moves around, providing an extra point of contact between the Wallion and the forest floor.
 * Adaptation 3 (Structural):**

As a result of this adaptation, Wallions rarely, if ever, lose their balance and tip over. Although they are bipedal like humans, Wallions are much steadier than Homo sapiens. They have the ability to travel at high speeds through rough, uneven terrain. This allows Wallions to catch a wide variety of fleet footed prey, effortlessly catching up to them before delivering a fatal bite. This increases the Wallion’s chances of survival and reproducing.

The environmental pressure that gave rise to the Wallions’ tail could potentially have been the sheer vastness of the Australian continent combined with the generally low fertility of Australian land. These two factors mean that the distance between two food sources for the Wallion may be very far. Wallions developed their strong tails to increase their mobility and allow them to reach food faster. This increases the chance of survival. The strong tail would have also allowed Wallions to increase their chances of catching prey by enhancing their balance and mobility.

Being an apex predator, the Wallion is a fearsome hunter. One unique adaptation of the Wallion is the method that it uses to capture prey. Discounting Homo sapiens, Wallions are the only predators in the world that attack prey by punching. Using their long and muscular forearms, Wallions punch prey with tremendous force. One Wallion punch can deliver as much as 350 pounds of power, easily knocking out most prey in one hit. Wallions tend to aim for the neck area, as it is the most vulnerable. Once knocked out, the Wallion will then deliver a fatal bite to the neck, effectively killing the prey.
 * Adaptation 4 (Behavioral)**

As a result of this adaptation, when a Wallion catches up to its prey it is almost certain that the prey will die. The speed and power of a Wallion’s punches are extremely difficult to dodge, especially if the prey is large and heavy. This adaptation ensures that the Wallion almost never runs out of food.

One possible environmental pressure that could have given rise to the Wallion’s unique way of hunting was the effectiveness of this hunting technique against large animals such as kangaroos. As there is no other Australian predator (with the possible exception of dingoes) that can hunt kangaroos, the Wallion has little to no competition, allowing it to survive where other, smaller carnivores may starve.

One way that Wallions keep cool after hunting is by licking their paws and wrists. Wallion skin is thinner on their forearms than on the rest of their body, and the blood vessels are very close to the surface of their skin in those areas. As the saliva from a Wallion’s tongue evaporates it cools the skin down.
 * Adaptation 5 (Structural/Behavioral)**

As a result of this adaptation, Wallions can keep cool during the hot Australian summers, even after travelling many kilometres through forests in search of food and prey. Licking uses much less water than sweating does. As a result Wallions can cool their body down while conserving as much water as they can. This is vital to the survival of the species, as Australia often goes through periods of drought, and the Wallion can go without water for prolonged periods of time.

The environmental pressure that gave rise to this adaptation has been confirmed to be the arid climate of the Australian continent. This unique climate has forced wallabies to evolve an efficient way of cooling their bodies down while conserving precious water.

= Selection Pressure - Why Did It Evolve? =

= = The selection pressure that caused some wallabies to evolve into Wallions is a direct result of human actions. As stated above, it is hypothesized that at the end of the Great Nuclear War, when the United States of Eurasia dropped the Great Hydrogen Bomb on Australia, killing most wildlife and scorching the land, wallabies were forced to adapt to the lack of plant life by gradually becoming omnivores to feed themselves. This evolutionary process was enhanced by radioactive fallout throughout Australia, which sped up mutations.

The evolution of wallabies was gradual, starting with the appearance of a mane. The head of the Wallion is very similar to that of an African lion, as present day Australian grasslands are very similar to the savannahs of Africa 700,000 years ago. Although the Wallion looks very much like a lion in appearance, it remains a marsupial, much more closely related to wallabies than African lions. The similarity in appearance is purely a result of convergent evolution.

= Bibliography =


 * Wikipedia. (2011). //Lion//. Retrieved July 23, 2011, from [|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/] Lion
 * National Geographic Kids. (2010). //Lion Facts and Pictures.// Retrieved July 23, 2011, from []
 * Wikipedia. (2011, June 18). //Wallaby//. Retrieved June 18, 2011, from []
 * Sydney Wildlife World. (2010). //Wallaby Cliffs Habitat//. Retrieved June 25, 2011, from []
 * KidCyber. (2009). //Australian Grasslands//. Retrieved June 25, 2011, from []