Obdurodon tharalkooschild

Obdurodon tharalkooschild

Some newly discovered fossils have been all the rage this week-- gigantic extinct Platypus! The modern Platypus is a strange enough creature, but this prehistoric version takes it to a new level!

As you may know, the Platypus is one of only a handful of living Monotremes-- primative mammals that lay eggs. It was long believed that the Platypus had a very direct evolutionary story, one with very minimal branches. Obdurodon tharalkooschild, which was found in North-west Queensland (an area absent of modern Platypuses) was over a meter long and had teeth.

In fact, it was the fossilized tooth that put this whole story together. Modern Platypuses have teeth only as infants. They lose them as they grow up and they are never replaced. O. tharalkooschild had incredbily large teeth that it kept it's entire life. It had a carnivorous diet and could've used its giant chompers to feed on turtles and lungfish.

A few other extinct Platypuses have been discovered over the years, but all had smaller, and fewer teeth as they got chronologically closer to the present. O. tharalkooschild, which lived between 15 adn 5 million years ago, bucks that trend, which is why scientists believe it was part of a different Platypus evolution branch!

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Status : Extinct, lived 15m-5m years ago
Location : Australia
Size : Length up to 3.3ft (1m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Monotremata
Family : Ornithorhynchidae -- Genus : †Obdurodon -- Species : O. tharalkooschild
Image :  Peter Schouten

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Sir David's Long-beaked Echidna

Zaglossus attenboroughi

Of the four extant species of Echidna, only one is named after one of the greatest naturalists alive-- Sir David Attenborough. Sir David's Long-beaked Echidna is also referred to as Attenborough's Echidna, and as teh Cyclops Long-beaked Echidna. "Cyclops" comes from the mountain range they live in-- the Cyclops Mountains in Papua, Indonesia.

The Sir David's Echidna is literally only found in that tiny region, so it is unsurprising that they are listed as Critically Endangered. They were actually thought to be extinct, since the last specimen was collected way back in 1961. However, local people claim that they have spotted the small Monotremes recently, and scientists have located "nose pokes" which are evidence that they are still around somewhere.

The aforementioned "nose pokes" are the holes created when the Echidnas stick their snouts into the soil in search of termites, worms, ants, and other underground invertebrates. Like all Echidnas, they lay eggs, and aside from breeding it is believed that they are solitary animals.

Scientists are working with the local peoples to preserve and protect the few Sir David's Long-beaked Echidnas left. There are only fives Monotremes in the world, and it would be very sad to lose one completely.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered

Location : Island of New Guinea, Indonesia
Size : Length around 40in (1m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Monotremata
Family : Tachyglossidae -- Genus : Zaglossus -- Species : Z. attenboroughi

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Duckbill Platypus

Oh Monotremes. You are so amazingly, incredibly bizarre. And as weird as the Echidna was, it's got nothing on the Platypus, a mammal so darn weird that British Naturalists actually believed it was a hoax stitched together by Chinese sailors. And you know what? I really don't blame them. How would you react to a weird, otter-like creature with webbed flippers, a beaver tail and a bird-like bill?

(Image Source)

Platypuses (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) are one of a kind, the only living members of the Monotreme suborder Platypoda. Other, now-extinct Platypuses exist in the fossil record as far back at 60 million years. (The first known Monotremes, while we're on this topic, are thought to have diverged from other mammals over 160 million years ago.) They are found exclusively in Australia, along the eastern edge of the continent and on the island of Tasmania.

All of the Platypus's features serve a purpose. Their bill is actually one long snout full of sensory organs used to locate and scoop up food underwater. The webbed feet assist in swimming, digging, and paddling, and their dense fur serves as insulation. The tail also helps in swimming, and provides fat-storage. Adult Platypuses do not have teeth, and they will collect gravel to help chew food, which primarily consists of insects and crustaceans.

(Image Source)

Like all Monotremes, Platypuses lay eggs. Two are typically laid at a time, and are insulted below the mother's tail. At birth the young Platypus is tiny and helpless, and will be cared for for several months.

On top of laying eggs and looking weird, the Platypus is toxic! Males have venom-injecting spurs on their rear feet. It is believed that this venom is significant during mating periods.

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Short-Beaked Echidna

The Short-Beaked Echidna is one of the most bizarre mammals in existence. It, along with four other Echidna species and the Duck-Billed Platypus, are the world's only living Monotremes. Monotremes are considered to be very primitive mammals, in that they lay eggs in order to reproduce. All other mammals practice placental birth. There has been some arguement about where Monotremes should be placed taxonomically. Some consider them to be a separate, sister class to mammals, while others believe them to be reptiles (due to additional similarities in the digestive and excretory systems). Currently, they are placed as an Order within a separate subclass within Mammalia.

Image from Wildlife Queensland

The Short-Beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is found throughout Australia and parts of New Guinea. There are five different subspecies that inhabit various ranges throughout. Within their range, the Short-Beaked Echidna  lives in a multitude of different habitats, ranging from mountain areas to deserts, and everything in between. They are even able to tolerate snow and cold weathers. They prefer to live in burrows, favoring fallen logs, caves, or even self dug burrows in the ground.

Short-Beaked Echidnas have clawed front feet that are exceptional for digging. These feet also help them to locate their favorite meals - ants and termites - so that they can slurp them up with their long tongues. Short-Beaked Echidnas have no teeth. Their bodies are covered with spines, interspersed with hair. These are used for defense. Short-Beaked Echidnas have compact, muscular bodies, and are able to roll up into a ball that is extremely difficult for predators to penetrate. They have wonderful senses of smell, but poor eyesight. Short-beaked Echidnas are warm blooded, and they do in fact produce milk for their young.

Short-Beaked Echidnas are typically very shy, solitary creatures, and will only come together to mate. After mating, the female will lay a single eggs, which is incubated in a pouch until hatching. The baby (unofficially called a puggle!) will remain in the pouch (similar to marsupials) until it's spines begin to grow. At that point it is raised in an external burrow. Short-Beaked Echidnas are the only Monotremes that are commonly found within captivity. They have also been bred in captivity.

Thanks to @iflylikeicarus for the suggestion!

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