Marsupials Are 'Far More Evolved' Than Other Mammals, Even Humans shoots down the idea that humans are more moral because they are the most evolved and complex.

A new study challenges the idea that marsupials are more 'primitive' than mammals by showing their development has changed more than mammals since they last shared an ancestor.

..."It turns out that marsupials are the ones that are far more evolved from the ancestral form."

..."As a member of the placental mammals, we often have this bias that ours is the group that evolution is directed towards, but that's not how evolution works," explains Goswami.

Evolution is often misrepresented as a straightforward road to greater complexity, where species with more ancient traits are thought to be simpler or 'primitive'.

But genetics and a greater awareness of unusual traits demonstrate that complexity can be repeatedly gained and lost during a species's evolutionary journey. Nor does more significant evolutionary change always lead to more diversity, as there is far more variation in placental mammals than marsupials, the researchers point out....