4.0 CONCLUSION
Our study and accompanying data sets, including the first chromosome-level genome of a semelparous mammal, provide a critical resource for future studies on semelparity and its association with the universal ageing process. Complementary genomic data, including the genomes of additional Australasian and South American semelparous and iteroparous marsupials, is forthcoming and promises to shed light on whether semelparity in lineages with a common ancestor ~80 million years ago evolved by independent, lineage-specific molecular changes or by shared molecular convergence. The genomic resources also provide tools for broader studies on the ecology, evolution, and conservation of marsupials.