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(, 1799)Platypus range(red – native, yellow – introduced)The platypus ( Ornithorhynchus anatinus), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a egg-laying to, including. The platypus is the sole living representative of its and ( Ornithorhynchus), though a number of appear in the fossil record.Together with the four species of, it is one of the five species of, the only mammals that lay instead of giving birth to live young.
Like other monotremes it senses prey through. It is one of the few species of, as the male platypus has a on the hind foot that delivers a capable of causing severe pain to humans.The unusual appearance of this egg-laying, -billed, -tailed, -footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it, and the first scientists to examine a preserved platypus body (in 1799) judged it a fake, made of several animals sewn together.The unique features of the platypus make it an important subject in the study of, and a recognisable and iconic symbol of. It has appeared as a mascot at national events and features on the of the, and the platypus is the animal emblem of the state of.Until the early 20th century humans hunted the platypus for its fur, but it is now protected throughout its range. Although programs have had only limited success, and the platypus is vulnerable to the effects of pollution, it is not under any immediate threat.
All the platypi, or what I think the plural name is called for a platypus, In The game Platypus Evolution by Tapps games! It took a long time! Please like or subscribe and thanks for watching! The new fossils do give important information about platypus evolution, indicating that it evolved from a larger toothed form. The statement about 'larger teeth' is misleading, since the modern platypus has no teeth at all as an adult. That modern platypuses are smaller than their ancestors is no evidence of degeneration, since small creatures.
Platypus ( Ornithorhynchus anatinus) – from the first scientific description in 1799When the platypus was first encountered by Europeans in 1798, a and sketch were sent back to by, the second Governor of. British scientists' initial hunch was that the attributes were a hoax., who produced the first description of the animal in the Naturalist's Miscellany in 1799, stated it was impossible not to entertain doubts as to its genuine nature, and believed it might have been produced by some Asian. It was thought that somebody had sewn a duck's beak onto the body of a beaver-like animal.
Shaw even took a pair of scissors to the dried skin to check for stitches.The common name 'platypus' is the of the word πλατύπους ( platupous), 'flat-footed', from πλατύς ( platus), 'broad, wide, flat' and πούς ( pous), 'foot'. Shaw assigned the species the name Platypus anatinus when he initially described it, but the genus term was quickly discovered to already be in use as the name of the wood-boring genus. It was independently described as Ornithorhynchus paradoxus by in 1800 (from a specimen given to him by ) and following the of nomenclature, it was later officially recognised as Ornithorhynchus anatinus.The scientific name Ornithorhynchus anatinus is derived from ορνιθόρυγχος ( ornithorhynkhos), which literally means 'bird snout' in Greek; and anatinus, which means 'duck-like' in.There is no universally-agreed plural form of 'platypus' in the English language. Scientists generally use 'platypuses' or simply 'platypus'. Colloquially, the term 'platypi' is also used for the plural, although this is a form of; going by the word's Greek roots the plural would be 'platypodes'. Early called it by many names, such as 'watermole', 'duckbill', and 'duckmole'.
The name 'platypus' is occasionally prefixed with the adjective 'duck-billed' to form 'duck-billed platypus'.Description. Platypus inIn 's account of the new colony 1788–1801, he describes coming across 'an amphibious animal, of the mole species'. His account includes a drawing of the animal.The body and the broad, flat tail of the platypus are covered with dense, brown that traps a layer of insulating air to keep the animal warm. The fur is waterproof, and the texture is akin to that of a. The platypus uses its tail for storage of fat reserves (an adaptation also found in animals such as the ). The is more significant on the front feet and is folded back when walking on land.
The elongated snout and lower jaw are covered in soft skin, forming the bill. The nostrils are located on the dorsal surface of the snout, while the eyes and ears are located in a groove set just back from it; this groove is closed when swimming. Platypuses have been heard to emit a low growl when disturbed and a range of other vocalisations have been reported in captive specimens. A colour print of platypuses from 1863Weight varies considerably from 0.7 to 2.4 kg (1.5 to 5.3 lb), with males being larger than females; males average 50 cm (20 in) in total length, while females average 43 cm (17 in), with substantial variation in average size from one region to another, and this pattern does not seem to follow any particular climatic rule and may be due to other environmental factors, such as predation and human encroachment.The platypus has an average of about 32 °C (90 °F) rather than the 37 °C (99 °F) typical of. Research suggests this has been a gradual adaptation to harsh environmental conditions on the part of the small number of surviving monotreme species rather than a historical characteristic of monotremes.Modern platypus young have three teeth in each of the (one premolar and two ) and (three molars), which they lose before or just after leaving the breeding burrow; adults have heavily pads in their place. The first upper and third lower cheek teeth of platypus nestlings are small, each having one principal cusp, while the other teeth have two main cusps. The platypus is constructed differently from that of other mammals, and the jaw-opening muscle is different.
As in all true mammals, the tiny bones that conduct sound in the are fully incorporated into the skull, rather than lying in the jaw as in and other pre mammalian. However, the external opening of the ear still lies at the base of the jaw. The platypus has extra bones in the shoulder girdle, including an, which is not found in other mammals. As in many other aquatic and semiaquatic, the bones show, increasing their density to provide ballast.
It has a gait, with the legs on the sides of the body, rather than underneath. When on land, it engages in on its front feet, to protect the webbing between the toes. The calcaneus spur found on the male's hind limb is used to deliver venom.While both male and female platypuses are born with ankle spurs, only the male's spurs deliver venom,composed largely of -like (DLPs), three of which are unique to the platypus. The DLPs are produced by the immune system of the platypus.
The function of defensins is to cause in pathogenic bacteria and viruses, but in platypuses they also are formed into venom for defence. Although powerful enough to kill smaller animals such as dogs, the venom is not lethal to humans, but the pain is so excruciating that the victim may be incapacitated. Rapidly develops around the wound and gradually spreads throughout the affected limb. Information obtained from and anecdotal evidence indicates the pain develops into a long-lasting (a heightened sensitivity to pain) that persists for days or even months. Venom is produced in the glands of the male, which are kidney-shaped connected by a thin-walled duct to a spur on each hind limb.
The female platypus, in common with echidnas, has rudimentary spur buds that do not develop (dropping off before the end of their first year) and lack functional crural glands.The venom appears to have a different function from those produced by non-mammalian species; its effects are not life-threatening to humans, but nevertheless powerful enough to seriously impair the victim. Since only males produce venom and production rises during the breeding season, it may be used as an offensive weapon to assert dominance during this period.Similar spurs are found on many archaic mammal groups, indicating that this is an ancient characteristic for mammals as a whole, and not exclusive to the platypus or other monotremes. Platypus shown to childrenare the only mammals (apart from at least of ) known to have a sense of: they locate their prey in part by detecting electric fields generated by muscular contractions. The platypus's electroreception is the most sensitive of any monotreme.The are located in rostrocaudal rows in the skin of the bill, while (which detect touch) are uniformly distributed across the bill. The electrosensory area of the is contained within the tactile area, and some cortical cells receive input from both electroreceptors and mechanoreceptors, suggesting a close association between the tactile and electric senses. Both electroreceptors and mechanoreceptors in the bill dominate the of the platypus brain, in the same way human hands dominate the.The platypus can determine the direction of an electric source, perhaps by comparing differences in across the sheet of electroreceptors.
This would explain the characteristic side-to-side motion of the animal's head while hunting, seen also in the while foraging. The cortical convergence of electrosensory and tactile inputs suggests a mechanism that determines the distance of prey that, when they move, emit both electrical signals and mechanical pressure pulses. The platypus uses the difference between arrival times of the two signals to sense distance.Feeding by neither sight nor smell, the platypus closes its eyes, ears, and nose each time it dives.
Rather, when it digs in the bottom of streams with its bill, its electroreceptors detect tiny electric currents generated by muscular contractions of its prey, so enabling it to distinguish between animate and inanimate objects, which continuously stimulate its mechanoreceptors. Experiments have shown the platypus will even react to an 'artificial shrimp' if a small electric current is passed through it.Monotreme electrolocation probably evolved in order to allow the animals to forage in murky waters, and may be tied to their tooth loss.
The extinct was electroreceptive, but unlike the modern platypus it foraged pelagically (near the ocean surface). EyesIn recent studies it has been suggested that the eyes of the platypus are more similar to those of or Northern Hemisphere than to those of most tetrapods. The eyes also contain, which most mammals do not have.Although the platypus's eyes are small and not used under water, several features indicate that vision played an important role in its ancestors. The surface and the adjacent surface of the lens is flat while the posterior surface of the lens is steeply curved, similar to the eyes of other aquatic mammals such as otters and sea-lions. A (ear side) concentration of, important for binocular vision, indicates a role in, while the accompanying visual acuity is insufficient for such activities.
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Furthermore, this limited acuity is matched by a low, a small and a large, suggesting that the plays a more important role than the, as in some rodents. These features suggest that the platypus has adapted to an aquatic and nocturnal lifestyle, developing its electrosensory system at the cost of its visual system; an evolutionary process paralleled by the small number of electroreceptors in the, which dwells in dry environments, whilst the, which lives in moist environments, is intermediate between the other two monotremes.
Ecology and behaviour. Swimming underwater at, AustraliaThe platypus is semiaquatic, inhabiting small streams and rivers over an extensive range from the cold highlands of and the to the of coastal as far north as the base of the. Inland, its distribution is not well known; it is extinct in (apart from an introduced population on ) and is no longer found in the main part of the, possibly due to the declining brought about by extensive land clearing and schemes.
Along the coastal river systems, its distribution is unpredictable; it appears to be absent from some relatively healthy rivers, and yet maintains a presence in others, for example, the lower, that are quite degraded.In captivity, platypuses have survived to 17 years of age, and wild specimens have been recaptured when 11 years old. For adults in the wild appear to be low. Natural predators include,. Low platypus numbers in northern Australia are possibly due to predation.
The introduction of in 1845 for hunting may have had some impact on its numbers on the mainland. The platypus is generally regarded as and, but individuals are also active during the day, particularly when the sky is overcast. Its habitat bridges and the for both a food supply of prey species, and banks where it can dig resting and nesting burrows. It may have a range of up to 7 km (4.3 mi), with a male's home range overlapping those of three or four females.The platypus is an excellent swimmer and spends much of its time in the water foraging for food. It has a very characteristic swimming style and no external ears.
Uniquely among mammals, it propels itself when swimming by an alternate rowing motion of the front feet; although all four feet of the platypus are webbed, the hind feet (which are held against the body) do not assist in propulsion, but are used for steering in combination with the tail. The species is, maintaining its body temperature at about 32 °C (90 °F), lower than most mammals, even while foraging for hours in water below 5 °C (41 °F).Dives normally last around 30 seconds, but can last longer, although few exceed the estimated aerobic limit of 40 seconds. Recovery at the surface between dives commonly takes from 10 to 20 seconds.When not in the water, the platypus retires to a short, straight resting burrow of oval cross-section, nearly always in the riverbank not far above water level, and often under a protective tangle of roots.The average sleep time of a platypus is said to be as long as 14 hours per day, possibly because it eats, which provide a high level of calories.
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DietThe platypus is a: it feeds on worms, freshwater, and that it digs out of the riverbed with its snout or catches while swimming. It uses cheek-pouches to carry prey to the surface, where it is eaten. The platypus needs to eat about 20% of its own weight each day, which requires it to spend an average of 12 hours daily looking for food. Platypus's nest with eggs replicaWhen the platypus was first encountered by European, they were divided over whether the female laid eggs.
This was not confirmed until 1884, when was sent to Australia, where, after extensive searching assisted by a team of 150, he managed to discover a few eggs. Mindful of the high cost per word, Caldwell tersely wired, 'Monotremes oviparous, ovum meroblastic.' That is, monotremes lay eggs, and the eggs are similar to those of reptiles in that only part of the egg divides as it develops.The species exhibits a single; mating occurs between June and October, with some local variation taking place between different populations across its range. Historical observation, studies, and preliminary investigations of population genetics indicate the possibility of both resident and transient members of populations, and suggest a mating system. Females are thought likely to become sexually mature in their second year, with breeding confirmed still to take place in animals over nine years old.Outside the mating season, the platypus lives in a simple ground burrow, the entrance of which is about 30 cm (12 in) above the water level. After mating, the female constructs a deeper, more elaborate burrow up to 20 m (66 ft) long and blocked at intervals with plugs (which may act as a safeguard against rising waters or predators, or as a method of regulating humidity and temperature).
The male takes no part in caring for its young, and retreats to his year-long burrow. The female softens the ground in the burrow with dead, folded, wet leaves, and she fills the nest at the end of the tunnel with fallen leaves and reeds for bedding material.
This material is dragged to the nest by tucking it underneath her curled tail.The female platypus has a pair of, but only the left one is functional. The platypus's genes are a possible evolutionary link between the mammalian and bird/reptile sex-determination systems because one of the platypus's five X chromosomes contains the gene, which birds possess on their Z chromosome. It lays one to three (usually two) small, leathery eggs (similar to those of reptiles), about 11 mm (0.43 in) in diameter and slightly rounder than bird eggs. The eggs develop for about 28 days, with only about 10 days of external (in contrast to a chicken egg, which spends about one day in tract and 21 days externally). After laying her eggs, the female curls around them. The incubation period is divided into three phases. In the first phase, the has no functional organs and relies on the for sustenance.
The yolk is absorbed by the developing young. During the second phase, the digits develop, and in the last phase, the appears.Most mammal zygotes go through cleavage, meaning that, following fertilisation, the ovum is split due to cell divisions into multiple, divisible daughter cells. This is in comparison to the more ancestral process of cleavage, present in like the platypus and in non-mammals like. In meroblastic cleavage, the ovum does not split completely.
This causes the cells at the edge of the yolk to be cytoplasmically continuous with the egg's cytoplasm. This allows the yolk, which contains the embryo, to exchange waste and nutrients with the cytoplasm.The newly hatched young are vulnerable, blind, and hairless, and are fed by the mother's milk. Although possessing, the platypus lacks teats. Instead, milk is released through pores in the skin.
The milk pools in grooves on her abdomen, allowing the young to lap it up. After they hatch, the offspring are suckled for three to four months. During incubation and weaning, the mother initially leaves the burrow only for short periods, to forage. When doing so, she creates a number of thin soil plugs along the length of the burrow, possibly to protect the young from predators; pushing past these on her return forces water from her fur and allows the burrow to remain dry. After about five weeks, the mother begins to spend more time away from her young and, at around four months, the young emerge from the burrow.
A platypus is born with teeth, but these drop out at a very early age, leaving the horny plates it uses to grind food. EvolutionPlatypuslive birthtrue placentaEvolutionary relationships between the platypus and other mammals.The platypus and other monotremes were very poorly understood, and some of the 19th century myths that grew up around them—for example, that the monotremes were 'inferior' or —still endure. In 1947, theorised that placental mammals and marsupials may have diverged earlier, and a subsequent branching divided the monotremes and marsupials, but later research and fossil discoveries have suggested this is incorrect. In fact, modern monotremes are the survivors of an early branching of the mammal tree, and a later branching is thought to have led to the and placental groups.
And fossil dating suggest platypuses split from around 19–48 million years ago. Reconstruction of ancient platypus relative SteropodonThe oldest discovered fossil of the modern platypus dates back to about 100,000 years ago, during the period. The extinct monotremes and were once thought to be closely related to the modern platypus, but are now considered more basal taxa. The fossilised Steropodon was discovered in and is composed of an opalised lower jawbone with three molar teeth (whereas the adult contemporary platypus is toothless). The molar teeth were initially thought to be, which would have supported a variation of Gregory's theory, but later research has suggested, while they have three cusps, they evolved under a separate process.
The fossil is thought to be about 110 million years old, making it the oldest mammal fossil found in Australia. Unlike the modern platypus (and ), Teinolophos lacked a beak., another fossil relative of the platypus, has been found in, indicating monotremes were present in the supercontinent of when the continents of and Australia were joined via (up to about 167 million years ago). A fossilised tooth of a giant platypus species, was dated 5–15 million years ago. Judging by the tooth, the animal measured 1.3 meters long, making it the largest platypus on record. Platypus skeletonBecause of the early divergence from the and the low numbers of extant monotreme species, the platypus is a frequent subject of research in evolutionary biology.
In 2004, at the discovered the platypus has ten, compared with two (XY) in most other mammals. These ten chromosomes form five unique pairs of XY in males and XX in females, i.e. Males are X 1Y 1X 2Y 2X 3Y 3X 4Y 4X 5Y 5.
One of the X chromosomes of the platypus has great homology to the bird Z chromosome. The platypus genome also has both reptilian and mammalian genes associated with egg fertilisation. Though the platypus lacks the mammalian sex-determining gene, a study found that the mechanism of sex determination is the on the oldest. A draft version of the platypus genome sequence was published in on 8 May 2008, revealing both reptilian and mammalian elements, as well as two genes found previously only in birds, amphibians, and fish. More than 80% of the platypus's genes are common to the other mammals whose genomes have been sequenced.
A depiction of a platypus from a book for children published in Germany in 1798Except for its loss from the state of South Australia, the platypus occupies the same general distribution as it did prior to European settlement of Australia. However, local changes and fragmentation of distribution due to human modification of its habitat are documented. Its current and historical abundance, however, are less well-known and it has probably declined in numbers, although still being considered as common over most of its current range. The species was extensively hunted for its fur until the early years of the 20th century and, although protected throughout Australia since 1905, until about 1950 it was still at risk of drowning in the nets of inland fisheries.
The platypus does not appear to be in immediate danger of extinction, because conservation measures have been successful, but it could be affected by habitat disruption caused by dams, irrigation, pollution, netting, and trapping. Reduction of watercourse flows and water levels through excessive droughts and extraction of water for industrial, agricultural, and domestic supplies are also considered a threat. The lists the platypus on its as 'Near Threatened'. More recently, in January 2020, researchers from the presented evidence that the platypus is at risk of, due to a combination of water resource development, land clearing, climate change and increasingly severe periods of drought.Platypuses generally suffer from few diseases in the wild; however, public concern in Tasmania is widespread about the potential impacts of a disease caused by the fungus. The disease (termed ) affects only Tasmanian platypuses, and has not been observed in platypuses in mainland Australia. Affected platypuses can develop skin lesions or ulcers on various parts of their bodies, including their backs, tails, and legs. Mucormycosis can kill platypuses, death arising from secondary infection and by affecting the animals' ability to maintain body temperature and forage efficiently.
The Biodiversity Conservation Branch at the Department of Primary Industries and Water are collaborating with NRM north and researchers to determine the impacts of the disease on Tasmanian platypuses, as well as the mechanism of transmission and current spread of the disease.Much of the world was introduced to the platypus in 1939 when published an article on the platypus and the efforts to study and raise it in captivity. The latter is a difficult task, and only a few young have been successfully raised since, notably at in. The leading figure in these efforts was, who established a platypusary—a simulated stream in a tank—at the Healesville Sanctuary, where breeding was successful in 1943. In 1972, he found a dead baby of about 50 days old, which had presumably been born in captivity, at his at on the, Queensland. Healesville repeated its success in 1998 and again in 2000 with a similar stream tank. Since 2008, platypus has bred regularly at Healesville, including second-generation (captive born themselves breeding in captivity).
In bred twins in 2003, and breeding was again successful there in 2006. Platypus in wildlife sanctuariesThe platypus is kept, for conservation purposes, in special aquariums at the following Australian wildlife sanctuaries:Queensland. Platypus House at in Brisbane, Queensland., Gold Coast, Queensland., Brisbane, Queensland., Brisbane, Queensland. The Australian Platypus Park at Tarzali Lakes, QueenslandNew South Wales., Sydney, New South Wales., Sydney, New South Wales., Somersby, New South WalesVictoria., near, Victoria, where the platypus was first bred in captivity by naturalist in 1943. The first platypus 'born' in captivity was named Corrie and was quite popular with the public. In 1955, three months before a new 'platypussary' (after ') was opened, she unfortunately escaped from her pen into the nearby and apparently was never recovered.InternationalAs of 2019, the only platypuses in captivity outside of Australia are in the in the of.Three attempts were made to bring the animals to the, in 1922, 1947, and 1958; of these, only two of the three animals introduced in 1947 lived longer than eighteen months.
Platypus Evolution is Cow Evolution with a fresh coat of paint. You merge platypuses together and turn them from small ones, to adults, to mutants, and then to even crazier and crazier versions of the platypus, with more eyes, more heads, and most importantly, more duckbills! Of course, you can gain all kinds of coins and diamonds in the process. Read on for some tips and tricks for Platypus Evolution!
Keep the boxes coming and merge platypuses together to increase your coin earnings and unlock new forms. Purchase the tractor in order to keep the coins coming after you shut off or minimize the game. Surprisingly, not only will the coins keep coming, but this is also the only way to keep the boxes coming while you are still offline.
If you want to collect your tractor earnings right away, then set the time ahead by however long the limit of the tractor is, or less. If you do this, though, then do not set the time back to normal without going to sleep or some other long time away from the game because if you do, the game will penalize you by taking away the tractor for an entire day.
After you unlock the planetary view, the alien will come around and start asking you for different platypuses. Give him what he wants and you will get rubies that you can spend on Mars. You’ll unlock a whole subset of platypuses here, too, although they will earn you rubies a whole lot more slowly than the ones on earth will earn you coins.
You can watch a free ad video in order to get a platypus from the store at times, instead of having to spend coins. In addition, you can get free diamonds for sharing the game on Facebook or Twitter. You can get a whole lot more of them just by merging and tapping your platypuses, though.
Go to the highest unlocked view and you can tap over and over to make your platypus poop again and again. Each poop earns coins, and high value poops can earn a ton of coins. If you set your phone down, leave it on the high view so that the huge mutants make valuable poops.
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