Siteadmin, Check users, nsTeam1RO, nsTeam1RW, nsTeam1_talkRO, nsTeam1_talkRW, oversight, Administrators
30,650
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 1:
Line 1: − +
what about the related egg-laying mammals that are extinct? Don't tantalize us with words like 'relict'
'''Monotremes''' are a small [[relict]]<ref>[http://www.rmki.kfki.hu/~lukacs/MONOTREME.htm MONOTREMES: ABOUT THE ROLE OF PERMOTRIASSIC AND JURA-CRETACEOUS BOUNDARIES IN THE ATHERIAN-THERIAN DIVERGENCE]</ref> group of [[Australasia]]n mammals, consisting of the duck-billed [[platypus]] and the several [[echidna]]s.
'''Monotremes''' are a small group of [[Australasia]]n mammals, consisting of the duck-billed [[platypus]] and the several [[echidna]]s.
In addition to their unusual physical conformations, monotremes are remarkable for being the only [[mammal]]s to lay [[egg]]s, and to have [[poison]] glands (spurs on the back legs of the male platypus); these were an unpleasant surprise for several early zoologists. A feature is the absence of well-developed [[mammary glands]], the young platypi and echidnae being nourished by nutritious emissions from their mothers unmodified [[sweat gland]]s.
In addition to their unusual physical conformations, monotremes are remarkable for being the only [[mammal]]s to lay [[egg]]s, and to have [[poison]] glands (spurs on the back legs of the male platypus); these were an unpleasant surprise for several early zoologists. A feature is the absence of well-developed [[mammary glands]], the young platypi and echidnae being nourished by nutritious emissions from their mothers unmodified [[sweat gland]]s.