Researchers in Australia have for the first time successfully produced the first kangaroo embryos through in-vitro fertilization, in a breakthrough that may help save endangered species from extinction, Report informs via NBC News.

Australia is not short of kangaroos — the bouncing creatures are commonly eaten there — but they are from the marsupial group of mammals that is mostly found in the country and has lost many species to extinction.
The researchers' use of IVF on kangaroo eggs and sperm may help support the conservation of those marsupials, said Andres Gambini, lead researcher and University of Queensland lecturer.

“Our team built on years of experience working with reproductive technologies in domestic animals like livestock and horses,” Gambini told NBC News via email. “By adapting these techniques to the unique biology of kangaroos, we were able to create an embryo in the lab for the first time.”

The research will help scientists learn more about how marsupial embryos grow because the class reproduces differently compared to other mammals.

“Kangaroos have a very short pregnancy, and the embryo can go into suspended animation for several months,” Gambini said. “Our success with IVF helps us better understand these early stages of development.”