Fossils found have proved that they degenerated over the period of time but there is no solid evidence of their evolution. Later during the 1800s it was officially known as Ornithorhynchus anatinus derived from the Greek word ornithorhynkhos means “bird snout” and anatinus in Latin means, “duck like”. The name ‘Platypus’ was derived from a Latinization of Greek word. Finally after years of doubt, in 1802, an English scientist confirmed that the animal was not an attribute of hoax but a reality. However scientist were perplexed too and found it unbelievable and thought that somebody might have sewn a duck’s bill on a beaver like animal or a freak imposture sold by the Chinese taxidermist. Platypus is an unlikely animal and when the European settlers first encountered it in 1798, their sketches and specimens were forwarded to the Britain. Platypus Taxonomy and the Origin of its Name However fossils found in Argentina proves that platypus was found in South America too about 60 million years ago when the Gondwanaland existed. Platypus population occurs only in Tasmania, New South Wales and Queensland to the far north Cooktown and Victoria. An average length of a full-grown male platypus would be around 20 inches and 17inches of females. Male platypus is larger than the female with an average weight of around 0.7 to 2.4 kilograms. Platypus has foot at the sides of their body rather than underneath so they walk like reptiles. Their strong claws help them to dig burrows. The webbed front paws broaden inside the water acting like paddles and fold under the foot while walking on the land.
#PLATYPUS EVOLUTION ACHIEVEMENTS SKIN#
Their eyes and their ears are folded inside the skin so that while diving inside the water, their eyes and their ears are closed by the fold that they become deaf and blind while submerging. They have small eyes and do not have any external ears. The fur on their tail is coarser and brittle. The male have darker fur, which are almost black than that of the female that has a reddish hue. The color of their fur becomes darker as they mature. The color of their fur varies, especially the male platypus. They have a fine dense fur that is waterproof it insulates the air and keeps the platypus warm. They have tiny teeth at the back portion of the jaws though becomes toothless when grown mature. They have a duck shaped bill that is more elongated, which are moist and soft and has a leathery skin, which are very sensitive. They are monotreme, which means that they urinate, reproduce and defecate through a single opening. The Platypus is one amongst the three egg-laying mammals in the world. The scientific name for Platypus is Ornithorhynchus anatinus, which is derived from Greek words, which means ‘duck like’ and ‘bird-snout’. It belongs to the Ornithorhynchidae family and the platypus is the only living family member of its kind. Platypus are semi aquatic mammals and are included as one of the extant species of monotremes. They are native to the Eastern Australia and Tasmania. They are the only mammal that lays eggs instead of giving birth to their young ones. Platypus is one amongst the nature’s unlikely animal.