duck-billed &laquo; WordPress.com Tag Feed http://wordpress.com/tag/duck-billed/ Feed of posts on WordPress.com tagged "duck-billed" Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:51:18 +0000 http://wordpress.com/tags/ en <![CDATA[Ancient Thursday: 'Dem Bones]]> http://scienceguy288.wordpress.com/?p=263 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:45:30 +0000 scienceguy288 http://scienceguy288.wordpress.com/?p=263 An official from a Texas museum recently discovered the fossilized bones of a 75-million-year-old duckbilled dinosaur while taking a tour of the area where a mummified duckbill was found eight years ago.   The fossil comes from a well preserved, often called "mummified," brachylophosaurus.   The discovery  was made by 22-year-old Steven Cowan.  

Information About the First Find: Leonardo

About 10 feet from where the initial discovery was made, Cowan noticed another bone sticking out from the rocky ground.   He called over  paleontologist Mark Thompson who assessed that they were looking at dinosaur ribs, scapula, and even some of the tendons.  After further digging they found the rest of the mummified skeleton and a surprizing amount of tissue.

The dinosaur, named Marco, is in the Houston Museum of Natural Science.   When asked about his find, Cowan said, "It was very exciting."  Most definitely.  Not everyone has the good fortune of running into dinosaur bones.

]]> <![CDATA[Duck-billed platypus is dismissed by Oxford scientists as daffy]]> http://salonesoterica.wordpress.com/?p=1240 Fri, 09 May 2008 13:32:37 +0000 Jim Gregorich http://salonesoterica.wordpress.com/?p=1240

From: The Times On-Line
Mark Henderson, Science Editor

When the first duck-billed platypus specimens were sent from Australia to Europe at the end of the 18th century, the bizarre combination of mammal, bird and reptile features led many zoologists to consider them a hoax.

The reason for that first impression has now been revealed: the first analysis of its DNA code has shown that at a genetic level the platypus is indeed a unique amalgam of mammal, reptile and bird.

The platypus genome, sequenced from a female named Glennie, has allowed scientists to examine how evolution shaped not only the strange egg-laying mammal, but also relatives such as human beings. It may even offer insights into human diseases, by revealing genes that are critical to the mammalian immune system

Read the rest of the article here

]]> <![CDATA[Wildlife Wednesday: The Platypus]]> http://scienceguy288.wordpress.com/?p=236 Wed, 07 May 2008 13:05:13 +0000 scienceguy288 http://scienceguy288.wordpress.com/?p=236 The Platypus, or Ornithorhynchus anatinus, is a monotreme native to Australia.  A monotreme is a very strange type of mammal.  Although it is technically a mammal as it secretes milk for its offspring and has hair, it also lays eggs.  Due to its strange appearance, it was first thought to be a joke when the stuffed carcass was brought back to England.

The Intriguing Duck-billed Platypus

The Platypus lives to be around ten years old.  They have short, dense dark brown fur on their back with a light brown underside.  Their bill is surprisingly flexible.  The bill is also very complex, being covered in sensory receptors that respond to electrical and tacitile changes.  Their short, webbed limbs hide venom ducts in males which are used in self defense or during fights for mating rights.  The venom is strong enough to cause pain in humans!   Their tail resembles that of a beaver and it aids in swimming and fat storage. 

Platypi hunt small frogs, crayfish, and insects in their freshwater habitats.  They usually hunt at night and sleep in their dens during the day.  These monotremes are also very adept swimmers who can close their eyes and nostrils while swimming or diving. 

Other notable monotremes include Echidnas (or Spiny Anteaters) which is also exclusive to that obviously strange island of Australia.

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