The recent decoding of the platypus's genome confirms what we already knew: the platypus is one of the strangest creatures on Earth. It's technically a mammal because it is covered in fur and produces milk, but it comes up short on the requirement that its young be born live (it is one of two mammals which lays eggs). It's also part bird, having a sophisticated duck-like bill capable of electrosensory, underwater food detection, and part reptile: the male has a spur on its hind legs that delivers a potent venom. Quite possibly one of the earliest offshoots of the mammalian line, having diverged from reptiles 166 million years ago, the platypus lives as an important marker in the study of evolutionary biology.
The only marsupial in North America, the opossum as we know it is in fact one of the most recent marsupials to evolve, which would seem to disqualify it from this list. But as far as the living-fossil moniker is concerned, the opossum can be included under its umbrella because it has retained many of the features of the earliest known marsupials and so bears a close relation. What is most curious about the animal—and is the source of the phrase "playing possum"—is its involuntary reaction when it's threatened to a significant degree. The animal literally forces itself to the edge of a coma from which it is unable to awake for hours, meanwhile emitting a foul smell to discourage predators hunting for live prey.
As has been often said - one can safely discuss most anything other than politics and religion, and any attempt to mention 'evolution' just brings out the people with entrenched positions on both sides of the debate.
Personally, I think the article was not useful, as it just rehashed a lot of old data and did not really offer much new - normally I look to Popsci to run items that provide new insight, share some new innovation or answer some previously unanswered question. This article actually did little, other than get the usual suspects to act in their predictable manner.
The really strange one here is the platypus. It's almost like it was cobbled together from a random collection of other creatures!
It's interesting that even the creatures that are basically the same as their ancestors from hundreds of millions of years ago have changed in small ways to make them better. This is a reminder that natural selection always occurs when there is a low survival rate to adulthood.
seriously, octopuses?
As has been often said - one can safely discuss most anything other than politics and religion, and any attempt to mention 'evolution' just brings out the people with entrenched positions on both sides of the debate.
Personally, I think the article was not useful, as it just rehashed a lot of old data and did not really offer much new - normally I look to Popsci to run items that provide new insight, share some new innovation or answer some previously unanswered question. This article actually did little, other than get the usual suspects to act in their predictable manner.
Its a pity..
The really strange one here is the platypus. It's almost like it was cobbled together from a random collection of other creatures!
It's interesting that even the creatures that are basically the same as their ancestors from hundreds of millions of years ago have changed in small ways to make them better. This is a reminder that natural selection always occurs when there is a low survival rate to adulthood.