Platypus Evolution

Introduction

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Platypuses (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) are monotremes, a type of egg-laying mammal with mammary glands and a flat beak. Aboriginal people in different regions have different names for the animal, including mallingong, boondaburra, and tambreet. Platypuses are the only remaining member of the family Ornithorhynchidaeare, and there are only four other species of egg-laying mammals. Clearly, platypuses are unique. They live in the permanent river systems of eastern Australia, Tasmania, King’s Island, and Kangaroo Island, distributed across various environments ranging from tropical to alpine. Despite their range of environments, however, the IUCN deemed them “Near Threatened” in 2016.

Figure 1: Photo of a platypus diving to the bottom of a river.

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Legend/credit: Electron micrograph of the Ebola Zaire virus. This was the first photo ever taken of the virus, on 10/13/1976. By Dr. F.A. Murphy, now at U.C. Davis, then at the CDC.
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Genetics

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Fossil Record

The oldest evidence of O. anatinus ancestry is a fragment of a Pliocene platypus, Ornithorhynchus agilis, from roughly 3.8 million years ago. Researchers identified the species Obdurodon insignis based on two teeth in southern Australia that date back to the Oligocene approximately 26 Mya, and more fossils have since been found. Scientists found Obdurodon dicksoni in freshwater limestone from the Middle Miocene, around 15 Mya, and a larger species, Obdurodon tharalkooschild, was also found in the same area.

Electron micrograph of the Ebola Zaire virus. This was the first photo ever taken of the virus, on 10/13/1976. By Dr. F.A. Murphy, now at U.C. Davis, then at the CDC.[1].

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Legend/credit: Platypus phylogeny by Warren et al.
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Conclusion

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References

Edited by Cindy Chen, student of Joan Slonczewski for BIOL 116 Information in Living Systems, 2022, Kenyon College.