Platypus stinger comic funny11/10/2023 This suggests that XX or XY sex chromosomes exhibited by placental mammals evolved after the two evolutionary lineages split 165 million years ago.ĭespite these differences, platypus sex chromosomes are giving medical researchers insights into fighting human cancers. And though they are still X and Y chromosomes, the platypus versions are actually more similar to the W and Z chromosomes of birds than they are to the X and Y of marsupials and placental mammals, including humans. Males have five XY combos, while females have five XX combos. Platypuses have five pairs of sex chromosomes, or 10 in total. Once again, the platypus (and echidnas) are the odd mammals out. (In humans, cases of three or four sex chomosomes are possible, but rare.) Most mammal species have two sex chromosomes: either XX for females or XY for males. They Have 10 Sex Chromosomes And a Defunct Ovary.They hope that the discovery could be useful in countering the alarming rise of superbug infections that are resistant to most modern antibiotics. Scientists suspect that platypus evolved this special protein because suckling milk from the surface of the skin, instead of a nipple, left monotreme young more vulnerable to bacteria and infection. Their milk contains a special protein fold nicknamed “Shirley Temple” after it’s unique curled structure. Their Milk Could Help Fight Against Antibiotic ResistanceĪustralian scientists recently discovered that platypus milk contains unique antibacterial properties that could be used to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria.It pools on the surface of their belly, where you might expect to find nipples, and the young puggles slurp it up. But platypuses and echidna do things differently - they “sweat” milk through specialized glands in the skin. The reproductive weirdness doesn’t stop there - platypuses have evolved to nurse their young without nipples.Įvery other species of mammal on the planet nurses young via milk produced in a mammary gland and excreted through one or more nipples. They Nurse Their Young Without Nipples A captive platypus.Egg-laying allowed them to adapt to a semi-aquatic lifestyle and occupy an evolutionary niche not accessible to most marsupials, whose pouch young would drown if submerged. New genetic research revealed that the platypus and echidnas share a common semi-aquatic ancestor, leading scientists to theorize that monotremes survived by taking to the water. Scientists studying mammalian evolution suspect that egg-laying might be the reason monotremes survived into the modern day.īetween 71 and 45 million years ago, marsupials took over Australia and became the dominant type of mammal on the continent. Monotremes split off from the mammalian evolutionary lineage before the evolution of placentas, so they retain this distinctly reptilian method of reproduction. When the young (called puggles) finally hatch, they’re only the size of a jellybean. (The four species of hedgehog-like echidna are the only other monotremes alive today, and they too live in Australia as well as New Guinea.) Female platypuses typically lay between 1 and 3 marble-sized eggs, which they incubate for about two weeks in an underground burrow. Platypuses are monotremes, a type of mammal that lays eggs instead of giving birth to live young. One of the (arguably) weirdest elements of platypus biology is their reproduction. They’re One of Two Types of Mammals to Lay Eggs.Platypus GLP-1 is much longer lasting, and scientists think it could one day lead to new medications for diabetes. Humans produce GLP-1, too, and a modified version is already used in diabetes treatments. Called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), the hormone promotes insulin release, which in turn lowers blood glucose levels. (One Vietnam War veteran described the pain as worse than being hit by shrapnel.) Victims also experience nausea, gastric pain, cold sweats, lymph node swelling, and muscle wasting in the envenomated area.Īnd yet platypus venom could one day help treat illnesses: Australian scientists recently discovered that platypus venom contains a hormone that could aid in diabetes treatment. While the venom isn’t fatal to humans, anyone unlucky enough to be jabbed can expect days of “ immediate, sustained, and devastating” pain that’s resistant to morphine and other painkillers. Scientists think that males use these spurs to compete with rivals during breeding season. Each spur is connected to a crural gland - or modified sweat gland- which creates a powerful venom. Male platypus have half-inch spurs on each of their hind legs. But did you know that their venom could also help treat diabetes? You might have heard that platypus are venomous. Their Venom Could Help Treat Diabetes Male platypus have spurs on their hind legs, which can be used to estimate their age.
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