Tag

Platypus

All articles tagged with #platypus

science25 days ago•10 min saved

Platypus Fur Reveals Bird-like Hollow Melanosomes Yet Stays Matte

Scientists discovered hollow melanosomes in platypus fur—structures typically associated with color in birds—yet the fur remains dull because the hollow particles are scattered randomly, not organized to channel light. The hollow structures may aid insulation and buoyancy for a semi-aquatic lifestyle, and their presence raises questions about convergent evolution and how these pigment compartments form, with potential implications for human disease research where hollow melanosomes appear in melanoma.

via A-Z Animals|

#evolution #hollow #iridescence

science27 days ago•3 min saved

Ancient toothed platypus fossils push dental history back 25 million years

Palaeontologists in South Australia uncovered 25-million-year-old adult platypus fossils with teeth, including molars and premolars, extending the dental record by about 8 million years. Findings from Frome Downs and Billeroo Creek suggest a crunchier diet featuring crayfish and molluscs and a forelimb similar to modern platypuses, indicating strong swimming in a lush ancient environment.

via Australian Broadcasting Corporation|

#australia #paleontology #platypus

science2 months ago•6 min saved

Platypus Shocks Scientists with Hollow Melanosomes, Redefining Mammal Color

A Biology Letters study discovers hollow melanosomes in the platypus’s hair—previously seen only in birds—challenging the link between melanosome shape and color in mammals. The platypus fur remains dull brown, echidnas lack hollow melanosomes, and researchers are exploring whether this trait relates to the aquatic lifestyle and broader mammalian evolution.

via Indian Defence Review|

#evolution #hollow #melanosomes

science2 months ago•3 min saved

Platypus pigments defy mammal norms with hollow melanosomes

A Biology Letters study reveals platypus hair melanosomes are hollow and spherical—an arrangement previously observed only in birds—challenging assumptions about color in mammals and hinting at an evolutionary link to their aquatic past; echidnas do not share this feature.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#evolution #hollow #melanosomes

science8 months ago•3 min saved

Venomous Mammal Delivers Potent and Painful Sting

The platypus is the most venomous mammal, with males possessing a spur that delivers a painful venom, causing intense pain and potential tissue damage, though it is not lethal to humans. Its unique evolutionary path is a result of Australia's long isolation, leading to many distinctive species.

via IFLScience|

#australia #evolution #platypus

history9 months ago•8 min saved

Unveiling the Mystery of Winston Churchill's Dead Platypus

The article uncovers the true cause of Winston Churchill's dead platypus, revealing that high temperatures during transport likely caused his death, dispelling previous theories of submarine shell-shock, and details Australia's unique efforts at platypus diplomacy during and after WWII.

via BBC|

#australia #diplomacy #history

science11 months ago•4 min saved

Scientists Uncover 100-Million-Year-Old Secrets of Platypus Evolution and Reproduction

Scientists have uncovered how monotremes like platypuses determine sex through a hormone-based system involving the AMHY gene, a discovery that reveals a unique evolutionary pathway diverging from typical mammalian genetic mechanisms and shedding light on the deep history of sex chromosome evolution.

via Indian Defence Review|

#evolution #genetics #monotremes

science11 months ago•3 min saved

Scientists Uncover 100-Million-Year-Old Secret of Platypus Reproduction

Scientists have discovered that the sex of monotremes like platypuses is determined by a modified version of the anti-Muellerian hormone gene (AMHY), which is unique among mammals and represents a 100-million-year-old evolutionary development, marking the first known case of a hormone-based sex determination system in mammals.

via ScienceAlert|

#amh-gene #evolution #monotremes

environment3 years ago•1 min saved

Platypus makes historic return to Australian national park after 50 years.

Four female platypuses were reintroduced into Australia's Royal National Park, just south of Sydney, after disappearing from the area for over 50 years. The relocation is a collaborative effort between the University of New South Wales, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, WWF-Australia, and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. The platypus is increasingly threatened by habitat destruction, river degradation, feral predators, and extreme weather events such as droughts and bushfires. Each platypus will be tracked for the next two years to better understand how to intervene and relocate the species in the event of drought, bushfire, or flood.

via NBC News|

#australia #conservation #environment

environment3 years ago•1 min saved

Man Arrested for Taking Wild Platypus on Train Ride and Shopping Spree in Australia

A man in Australia has been charged with stealing a platypus from its natural habitat and taking it on a train trip to show it off to people at a local shopping mall. The platypus was wrapped in a towel and shown to fellow commuters. The animal has not been located and its current condition is unknown. Platypuses are a threatened species facing extinction due to human activity, including land-clearing, dams, drought, bushfires, and climate change. The man has been charged with the "unlawful take and keep of a Platypus from the wild" and could face a maximum penalty of $431,250.

via HuffPost|

#animal-cruelty #australia #environment

crime3 years ago•2 min saved

Man arrested for taking wild platypus on train ride and shopping trip.

A man has been arrested in connection with the taking of a platypus from its natural habitat in Queensland, Australia. The man and a woman were caught on CCTV showing the animal to people on a train before taking it to a shopping center. The platypus was released into the Caboolture River, and its condition is unknown. Taking a platypus from the wild is illegal and can be dangerous for both the animal and the person involved. The man has been charged with taking a protected animal class 1 offense and restriction on keeping or using taken protected animal class 1 offense.

via New York Post |

#animal-cruelty #arrest #crime

crime3 years ago•2 min saved

Man charged for taking wild platypus on train and shopping spree

A man in Australia has been charged with animal protection offences after taking a platypus on a train ride and showing it to members of the public at a shopping center. The platypus was allegedly removed from a waterway in northern Queensland and its fate remains unknown after being released into the Caboolture River. Platypuses are a threatened species facing a silent extinction due to prolonged droughts, bushfires, a changing climate, and land clearing that have impacted their habitat and decreased their population.

via CBS News|

#animal-protection #crime #endangered-species

crime3 years ago•1 min saved

Man charged for taking wild platypus on train ride and shopping trip

A man has been charged with taking a platypus from its natural habitat in Morayfield, Australia, and showing it to members of the public in a nearby shopping mall. The platypus' current condition is unknown, and police have warned that it can become sick or die while out of its natural habitat. The man has been charged with taking a protected animal and a restriction on keeping or using a protected animal, and investigations are ongoing.

via CNN|

#animal-protection #australia #crime

environment3 years ago•2 min saved

Man charged for taking wild platypus on train and shopping trip

Police in Queensland, Australia are searching for a man who allegedly took a platypus from its natural environment and showed it off to fellow commuters on a train. The platypus is a "Near Threatened" species and may become sick or die if kept out of the wild. The man could face a maximum penalty of $431,250 for the unlawful take and keep of the animal. The platypus is one of only two mammals in the world that lay eggs and is venomous, but there have been no recorded deaths from platypus stings.

via ABC News|

#animal-welfare #australia #environment

crime3 years ago•2 min saved

Man charged for taking wild platypus on train and shopping trip

A man in Australia has been charged with animal protection offences after taking a platypus on a train ride and to a shopping centre. The man is accused of removing the platypus from a waterway in northern Queensland, which is illegal under conservation laws. The platypus was later released into the Caboolture River, but its condition is unknown. Platypuses are native to Australia's freshwater rivers and are part of a rare group of mammals that lay eggs.

via FRANCE 24 English|

#animal-protection #crime #platypus