An Antipodal Mystery
Author(s)
Abstract
The discovery of the platypus had the scientific world in an uproar and kept it tantalized for decades. Here was the strangest animal ever seen. How was one to classify it? It had fur. So, was it a mammal? But then what to make of its duck-like bill? And how did it produce and suckle its young? Based on the book by Ann Moyal titled Platypus: The Extraordinary Story of How a Curious Creature Baffled the World, the case focuses on classification and evolution and models the scientific process, with scientists arguing, debating, collecting more information, and revising their opinions as more data become available.
Objectives
- To show how the scientific process really works.
- To learn some of the basic anatomy of the female tetrapod reproductive tract and patterns of egg-laying versus birth.
- To see some of the trends and patterns in anatomy that lead people to the idea of evolution.
- To learn some of the basic ideas of classification and to recognize how intermediate steps are to be expected with evolution.
Keywords
Taxonomy; ornithorynchus; platypus; monotreme; marsupial; scala naturae; evolution; AustraliaTopical Areas
History of science, Scientific methodEducational Level
High school, Undergraduate lower divisionFormat
PDFType / Methods
InterruptedLanguage
EnglishSubject Headings
Evolutionary Biology | Biology (General) | Zoology |
Date Posted
08/15/05Teaching Notes
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