152717 - the platypus.pdf (20.6 MB)
Download fileThe platypus: Evolutionary history, biology, and an uncertain future
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-21, 12:40 authored by 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, Sarah MunksSarah Munks, Sherwin, W, Serena, M, Temple-Smith, P, Thomas, J, Williams, G, Whittington, CThe 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.
History
Publication title
Journal of MammalogyVolume
100Pagination
308-327ISSN
0022-2372Department/School
School of Natural SciencesPublisher
Oxford University PressPlace of publication
United KingdomRights statement
© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Mammalogists. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Repository Status
- Open