The platypus & its DNA

tqft

Wed, 07 May 2008 16:16:20 PDT

And you thought the platypus just looked weird.

Just plain weird

"In fact, the platypus sex chromosome is derived not from other mammal sex chromosomes but from bird sex chromosomes."
"It is much more of a melange than anyone expected," said Ewan Birney, who led the genome analysis at the European Bioinformatics Institute in Cambridge.

Not suprising really for an animal that looks like a bird, suckles its young I suppose but genetically mixed as well.

The genome sequenced for the study belongs to a female specimen from New South Wales nicknamed Glennie and can be accessed at nih.gov.

TheBashar

Wed, 07 May 2008 20:34:29 PDT

Spider

Wed, 07 May 2008 20:43:48 PDT

Definitely a weird creature. Suckles young through the skin on its abdomen ! ! Has 10 sex chromosomes ! ! A beak like a duck ! ! "Is it a plane? Is it a bird? No its platapussy ". Walt Disney could have done some great animations with this creature. Of course, could only be found in Australia alongside the other strange animals in that country. Too much radiation from the sun?

zogger

Wed, 07 May 2008 21:33:41 PDT

I guess I'd like one for a pet...keeping in mind that whole poison barb thing (thick gloves for petting maybe). I've been looking at big birds too but dang they are expensive, a baby ostrich is like 300 clams!11. Guess I'll pass. Getting some turkeys though soon (as in *not* pets). Hey, isn't there some software that uses a platypus for their logo?? I have this vague recollection....

rubycodez

Wed, 07 May 2008 21:38:29 PDT

Hexley the Darwin mascot, really doesn't need the pitchfok, does he, he can just ankle-barb someone!

Get a female then, only the male has venom.

Bhima

Wed, 07 May 2008 23:09:01 PDT

That is strictly forbidden, or at least it was when I was a young boy back in the early ‘70s.

Thu, 08 May 2008 02:35:29 PDT

rubycodez

Wed, 07 May 2008 23:50:52 PDT

yeah, how about those Echidnas they have down there - mammal that lays eggs, milk patches instead of nipples, has a pouch, spines on body and spines on its tongue, and a four-headed penis two of which are used for mating, alternating which one with each coupling. freak-AY!

Thu, 08 May 2008 02:37:05 PDT

htc	Thu, 08 May 2008 02:52:34 PDT

Heh, I grew up in Tasmania, so for me these animals are just 'normal'. It wasn't until I travelled elsewhere that I realized that most other animals are, well, pretty ordinary really. Although, I do find elk and moose to be quite interesting. And, unlike most Australian animals, tasty too!

Thu, 08 May 2008 08:19:11 PDT

Funny- I'd think that most species of kangaroo would taste similar, since they occupy a similar spot as elk, moose, and deer in the environment (as in, ruminant grass eater).

htc	Thu, 08 May 2008 08:35:30 PDT

One possibility that could account for the different flavor is that the native grasses in Australia are a bit different to grasses elsewhere (or at least Europe, I don't know much about the American grasslands). Due to various (stupid) regulatory requirements it isn't economic (or legal?) to farm kangaroos, so there isn't much control over their feed. Also, the digestive chemistry of a kangaroo is a bit different to other ruminants. Finally, Kangaroo hasn't been eaten much in the past in Australia, so it might just be a matter of finding the right recipe ;-)

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:33:32 PDT

More details from Nature. (Paid site, but for some reason this article is currently free.
Looks like they haven't changed its position as transitional between reptiles and mammals. That is to say, we share a common reptilian ancestor with birds, but mammals didn't evolve from birds. Our shared ancestor is a lot more recent than I thought, which suggests that it might have been a dinosaur. Unfortunately, the article doesn't say, and it might be unknowable without dino DNA.

All I know is, it would be really cool to be able to tell my kids that we really are dinosaurs.