Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ub!kitty!larry
From: larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: What's a monotreme?
Summary: Egg-laying mammals
Keywords: monotremes
Message-ID: <4896@kitty.UUCP>
Date: 23 Apr 91 03:55:19 GMT
References: <1991Apr22.111159.29888@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>
Followup-To: sci.bio
Organization: Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, NY
Lines: 16

In article <1991Apr22.111159.29888@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> mcginnis@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes:
>What is a monotreme?  An article on the echidna in the Feb., 1991
>Scientific American says that the echidna has "a cavity uncommon in
>mammals, into which all the internal organs empty...".  Now, this
>is obviously wrong (because the heart doesn't empty into this
>cavity, nor do the lungs, etc.) so I presume that this single
>cavity gets the urine and sperm and feces.  Is this correct?

	The only definition I am aware of for "monotreme" is that of an
egg-laying mammal, such as the duck-bill platypus and spiny anteater.
The term "monotreme" arises from the order Monotremata, which encompasses
such animals.

Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp.  "Have you hugged your cat today?"
VOICE: 716/688-1231       {boulder, rutgers, watmath}!ub!kitty!larry
FAX:   716/741-9635   [note: ub=acsu.buffalo.edu] uunet!/      \aerion!larry