Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!metro!cluster!andrewt
From: andrewt@cluster.cs.su.oz.au (Andrew Taylor)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: On the classification of Platypus
Keywords: monotremes
Message-ID: <2350@cluster.cs.su.oz.au>
Date: 28 Apr 91 16:37:31 GMT
References: <1991Apr22.111159.29888@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> <4896@kitty.UUCP> <421@smds.UUCP>
Organization: Dept. of Comp. Science, Uni of Sydney, Australia
Lines: 12

In article <421@smds.UUCP>, rh@smds.UUCP (Richard Harter) writes:
> Lactation in Platypus wasn't discovered until much later; indeed lactation
> in Platypus is what you might expect in an intermediate form between
> reptiles and mammals.

I'm suspicious of the assumption that the platypus lactation is
a primitive charcteristic because the platypus is so highly specialised.
Perhaps the nipple was lost in the platypus because the bill
made it difficult for the young to suckle. I'm probably wrong but ...
you've got to be careful.

Andrew Taylor