Platypus Genome is Key to Understanding Human Evolution
May 08, 2008 02:16 PM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
by Isabel Cowles
A recently published mapping of the platypus genome will help scientists bridge the gap between reptile and mammalian evolution.
A recently published mapping of the platypus genome will help scientists bridge the gap between reptile and mammalian evolution.
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A newly released study illuminates the genetic makeup of one of the strangest animals on Earth: the duckbilled platypus.
The platypus is so physically unique that when scientists first examined it in 1798, they thought the discovery was a hoax, refusing to believe that a “duck-billed, egg-laying, otter-footed, beaver-tailed, venomous” animal could actually exist.
It’s not surprising that genome of the platypus is also unusual, and of great scientific value. Jenny Graves, a scientist at Australian National University called new research on the platypus DNA “the most eagerly awaited genome since the chimp genome because platypuses are so weird.”
Because the platypus shares characteristics with both reptiles and mammals, its genome represents a key link in the evolution of mammals. According to Oxford University scientist Chris Ponting, “This is our ticket back in time to when all mammals laid eggs while suckling their young on milk.”
The platypus is so physically unique that when scientists first examined it in 1798, they thought the discovery was a hoax, refusing to believe that a “duck-billed, egg-laying, otter-footed, beaver-tailed, venomous” animal could actually exist.
It’s not surprising that genome of the platypus is also unusual, and of great scientific value. Jenny Graves, a scientist at Australian National University called new research on the platypus DNA “the most eagerly awaited genome since the chimp genome because platypuses are so weird.”
Because the platypus shares characteristics with both reptiles and mammals, its genome represents a key link in the evolution of mammals. According to Oxford University scientist Chris Ponting, “This is our ticket back in time to when all mammals laid eggs while suckling their young on milk.”
Headline Link: ‘Platypus Genome As Weird As Platypus’
According to the Associated Press, “the egg-laying critter is a genetic potpourri—part bird, part reptile and part lactating mammal.” Sequencing the platypus genome has taken many years, but the result is of great scientific value. "The platypus genome … is the missing link in our understanding of how we and other mammals first evolved," explained Oxford University’s Chris Ponting, a key researcher in the study.
Source: The Discovery Channel [Associated Press]
Opinion and Analysis: Platypus genome key to understanding human evolution
Jenny Graves, head of the Comparative Genomics Group at the Australian National University, said that sequencing the platypus genome will shed light on human evolution: “Comparing us with the platypus means that we can say something about our common ancestor, which was one of the earliest mammals, so that means that we can ask questions about what happened to make us mammals.”
Source: Reuters
According to Mark Batzer of Louisiana State University, knowledge of the platypus genome may aid disease prevention research. “This is a huge genetic step. We’re learning a lot about mammalian gene regulation and immune systems. … We hope to, in time, identify the underlying causes and methods of disease prevention in humans.”
Source: National Science Foundation
Key Player: The platypus
National Geographic profiles the platypus, describing its physical structure, mating and nursing habits, diet and habitat.
Source: National Geographic
Related Topic: Animal oddballs
FindingDulcinea profiles other strange and often overlooked creatures that are important members of the ecosystem.
