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Member Since: 9/2007Last Seen: 11/13/2009

Top billing for platypus at end of evolution tree

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A draft sequence of the platypus genome reveals reptilian and mammalian elements and provides more evidence for its place in the ancestral line of animal evolution.

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{"commentId":1780453,"authorDomain":"edelweiss"}

They've sequenced the platypus genome!

"There is nothing quite as enigmatic as a platypus," says Richard Gibbs, who directs the Human Genome Sequencing Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. "You have got these reptilian repeat patterns and these more recently evolved milk genes and independent evolution of the venom. It all points to how idiosyncratic evolution is."

I think this will lead to some very cool insights.

{"commentId":1780453,"threadId":"261742","contentId":"1476943","authorDomain":"edelweiss"}
  • 1 vote
Reply#1 - Thu May 8, 2008 4:45 PM EDT
{"commentId":1780610,"authorDomain":"dungbeetlemania"}

The platypus is the weirdest animal I have ever seen, they're really cute though.

Thanks for finding this, a great read :)

{"commentId":1780610,"threadId":"261742","contentId":"1476943","authorDomain":"dungbeetlemania"}
  • 3 votes
Reply#2 - Thu May 8, 2008 5:33 PM EDT
{"commentId":1781469,"authorDomain":"tamh"}
they're really cute though

Aren't they!? I love the way they snuffle and sift around in the mud. Underwater vision of them in action is great to watch.

Excellent find Tracie! Hi! :o)

{"commentId":1781469,"threadId":"261742","contentId":"1476943","authorDomain":"tamh"}
  • 3 votes
#2.1 - Thu May 8, 2008 11:22 PM EDT
{"commentId":1783593,"authorDomain":"edelweiss"}

Hi Tracie! :-)

I, too, love the platypus..es?? platypi?. I just think they are horrifically cute. Bummer about the poisonous hind feet though...

{"commentId":1783593,"threadId":"261742","contentId":"1476943","authorDomain":"edelweiss"}
  • 2 votes
#2.2 - Fri May 9, 2008 2:12 PM EDT
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{"commentId":1783663,"authorDomain":"sunnyshine"}

This is such a fascinating article! I just came off a year in Australia, and every time we went to a wildlife reserve, my flatmates had to drag me away from the platypus tank by force. They're just so cute!

I'm hoping they tackle the echidna sometime soon -- in my opinion, they're even weirder than platypi!

Thanks so much for the seed, Tracie.

{"commentId":1783663,"threadId":"261742","contentId":"1476943","authorDomain":"sunnyshine"}
  • 3 votes
Reply#3 - Fri May 9, 2008 2:27 PM EDT
{"commentId":1783701,"authorDomain":"edelweiss"}

You're welcome, my new friend, sunnyshine. :-)

{"commentId":1783701,"threadId":"261742","contentId":"1476943","authorDomain":"edelweiss"}
  • 1 vote
#3.1 - Fri May 9, 2008 2:35 PM EDT
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