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"It is much more of a melange than anyone expected," commented Ewan Birney, who led the genome analysis at the European Bioinformatics Institute in Cambridge. The animal also possesses a feature unique to monotremes -- an order including a handful of egg-laying mammals -- called electroreception. With their eyes, ears and nostrils closed, platypuses rely on sensitive electrosensory receptors tucked inside their bills to track prey underwater, detecting electrical fields generated by muscular contraction. "By comparing the platypus genome to other mammalian genomes, we'll be able to study genes that have been conserved throughout evolution," said senior author Richard Wilson, a researcher at Washington University. In captivity, platypuses have lived up to 17 years of age. In the wild, they feed on worms, insect larvae, shrimps and crayfish, eating up to 20 percent of their body weight every day. Males grow to a length of 20 inches and weigh about 4.5 pounds, with females about 20 percent shorter and lighter. The genome sequenced for the study belongs to a female specimen from New South Wales nicknamed Glennie and can be accessed here. Related Links: Jennifer Viegas' blog: Born Animal |
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