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How the Venomous, Egg-Laying Platypus Evolved


Stashed in: Platypus!, Darwin, National Geographic

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It's like a real life Pokemon!

:)

"Evolved" doesn't seem quite right.  "Compiled" maybe.

Assembled?

:-)  I would love to see a platypus assembly kit.  

Inaction figure!  :-)

Yes! Inaction! :)

Btw 80 million years is a long time.

Mammal-like reptiles diverged from the lineage they shared with birds and reptiles about 280 million years ago.

Around 80 million years later, the monotremes—or egg-laying mammals—split off from the mammalian lineage, says Rebecca Young, a biologist at the University of Texas at Austin.

All that remains of that branch of the family tree is the platypus and four species of echidna. (Related: "Which Animals Have Barely Evolved?")

see also:  

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Not seeing it. 

Look at it!

No, I mean the photo doesn't load for me. 

Ah, I see it now! Super cute!

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