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Bino G, Kingsford RT, Archer M, Connolly JH, Day J, Dias K, Goldney D, Gongora J, Grant T, Griffiths J, Hawke T, Klamt M, Lunney D, Mijangos L, Munks S, Sherwin W, Serena M, Temple-Smith P, Thomas J, Williams G, Whittington C. The platypus: evolutionary history, biology, and an uncertain future. J Mammal 2019; 100:308-327. [PMID: 31043761 PMCID: PMC6479513 DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is one of the world's most evolutionarily distinct mammals, one of five extant species of egg-laying mammals, and the only living species within the family Ornithorhynchidae. Modern platypuses are endemic to eastern mainland Australia, Tasmania, and adjacent King Island, with a small introduced population on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, and are widely distributed in permanent river systems from tropical to alpine environments. Accumulating knowledge and technological advancements have provided insights into many aspects of its evolutionary history and biology but have also raised concern about significant knowledge gaps surrounding distribution, population sizes, and trends. The platypus' distribution coincides with many of Australia's major threatening processes, including highly regulated and disrupted rivers, intensive habitat destruction, and fragmentation, and they were extensively hunted for their fur until the early 20th century. Emerging evidence of local population declines and extinctions identifies that ecological thresholds have been crossed in some populations and, if threats are not addressed, the species will continue to decline. In 2016, the IUCN Red Listing for the platypus was elevated to "Near Threatened," but the platypus remains unlisted on threatened species schedules of any Australian state, apart from South Australia, or nationally. In this synthesis, we review the evolutionary history, genetics, biology, and ecology of this extraordinary mammal and highlight prevailing threats. We also outline future research directions and challenges that need to be met to help conserve the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilad Bino
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Richard T Kingsford
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Michael Archer
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Joanne H Connolly
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.,Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jenna Day
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kimberly Dias
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David Goldney
- Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jaime Gongora
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tom Grant
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Tahneal Hawke
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Melissa Klamt
- Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniel Lunney
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Office of Environment and Heritage, Hurstville, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Luis Mijangos
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sarah Munks
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia.,Forest Practices Authority, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - William Sherwin
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Melody Serena
- Australian Platypus Conservancy, Wiseleigh, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter Temple-Smith
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Southern Clinical School, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Geoff Williams
- Australian Platypus Conservancy, Wiseleigh, Victoria, Australia
| | - Camilla Whittington
- Sydney School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Nicol SC, Andersen NA, Morrow GE, Harris RL. Spurs, sexual dimorphism and reproductive maturity in Tasmanian echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus setosus). AUSTRALIAN MAMMALOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1071/am18005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
We present data from an 18-year study of a wild population of Tasmanian echidnas, which show that the presence of spurs in an adult are a reliable indicator of sex, and that there is a slight but significant sexual dimorphism in size, with a male to female mass ratio of 1.1. Minimum age at first breeding in the wild for Tasmanian echidnas was 5 years, as has been found on Kangaroo Island, compared with 3 years in captive echidnas. It is often assumed that although the echidna is distributed throughout Australia, New Guinea and off-shore islands that all aspects of its basic biology are the same in all populations, but comparisons of our results with data from other populations suggest that there may be differences in size and sexual dimorphism.
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