Thursday, May 8, 2008

Research news: Platypus is even more strange than it looks

The News:
Platypus Is Even More Strange Than It Looks
by Joe Palca
All Things Considered, May 7, 2008 · With its furry body and duck-billed face, the platypus is nothing if not bizarre looking. But scientists have confirmed that its strangeness is more than skin deep — after unraveling the animal's genome, they have discovered that even its genes are odd.
Most of the platypus's genes control characteristics typical of mammals, such as genes for making milk and fur. Unlike other mammals, however, the platypus lays eggs instead of birthing live young. Geneticist Richard Wilson of Washington University in St. Louis and his colleagues report in this week's issue of Nature that they have identified platypus genes that make hard-shelled eggs — much like the genes of birds. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Nature.

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