Skeleton

Griffiths, Mervyn

doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-012650-0.50006-1

Cited by 30 publications

(71 citation statements)

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“…How widespread geographically is hibernation by echidnas? In most of their range they experience only mild or warm winters with hot summers, so aestivation may also be a feature of their lifestyle, especially as they lack significant sweat glands and are known to avoid high temperatures (Griffiths, 1968(Griffiths, , 1978Augee, 1978). Do platypus hibernate?…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The short-beaked echidna (T. aculeatus) occurs throughout Australia and in parts of Papua-New Guinea and is the only native mammal in Australia whose distribution may be said to be continent-wide (Griffiths, 1968), a distribution that implies great adaptability to habitats as diverse as hot inland deserts, mild coastal woodlands and cold alpine meadows. Echidnas have long been known to be heterothermic (Martin, 1902;Schmidt-Nielsen et al, 1966;Augee and Ealey, 1968) yet there has been no previous study of their thermal relations under field conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hibernation in a monotreme, the echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

Grigg

Beard

Augee

1989

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Physiology

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Abstract-1. The body temperatures of five echidnas in Australia's Southern Alps were monitored by radio telemetry from February to December 1987.2. All five hibernated throughout the winter, showing very low body temperatures (4-9°C, close to ambient) when torpid, compared with 28-33°C in a typical day during the active season.3. Spontaneous arousals from hibernation occurred every 2-3 weeks, during which body temperatures rose rapidly to over 30°C for several hours before dropping to be close to ambient again.4. The identification of "classical" hibernation in a monotreme, with a similar pattern to that seen in Eutheria and in an animal as large as the largest eutherian hibernator, has important implications for current ideas about the evolution of endothermy.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hibernation in a monotreme, the echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

Grigg

Beard

Augee

1989

Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Physiology

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“…In 1884, William Caldwell's concise telegram to the British Association announced ''Monotremes oviparous, ovum meroblastic'', not holoblastic as in the other two mammalian groups 3,4 . The egg is laid in an earthen nesting burrow after about 21 days and hatches 11 days later 5,6 .…”

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confidence: 99%

Genome analysis of the platypus reveals unique signatures of evolution

Warren¹,

Hillier²,

Graves³

et al. 2008

Nature

613

327

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A list of authors and their affiliations appears at the end of the paperWe present a draft genome sequence of the platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus. This monotreme exhibits a fascinating combination of reptilian and mammalian characters. For example, platypuses have a coat of fur adapted to an aquatic lifestyle; platypus females lactate, yet lay eggs; and males are equipped with venom similar to that of reptiles. Analysis of the first monotreme genome aligned these features with genetic innovations. We find that reptile and platypus venom proteins have been co-opted independently from the same gene families; milk protein genes are conserved despite platypuses laying eggs; and immune gene family expansions are directly related to platypus biology. Expansions of protein, non-protein-coding RNA and microRNA families, as well as repeat elements, are identified. Sequencing of this genome now provides a valuable resource for deep mammalian comparative analyses, as well as for monotreme biology and conservation.

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“…Monotremes lay eggs and incubate them for the last third of their embryonic development, and yet being true mammals, they have hair and suckle their young (Griffiths, 1968(Griffiths, , 1978. The body dimensions and external morphology of newly hatched monotremes resemble that of newborn marsupials (Fig.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this context, the extant monotremes with their ancestral mode of reproduction are of special interest for the reconstruction of a mammalian morphotype in terms of reproduction and development. Whereas the modes of reproduction and development of marsupials and eutherians are relatively well understood, that of monotremes has been less well studied (Griffiths, 1968(Griffiths, , 1978Renfree, 1995;Temple-Smith and Grant, 2001). Because of the very limited availability of early ontogenetic stages, there are only a few studies that deal with the embryonic and postnatal development of monotremes (Semon, 1894;Kuhn, 1971;Griffiths, 1978;Zeller, 1989;Hughes and Hall, 1998).…”

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confidence: 99%

Lung Development of Monotremes: Evidence for the Mammalian Morphotype

Ferner¹,

Zeller²,

Renfree

2008

The Anatomical Record

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The reproductive strategies and the extent of development of neonates differ markedly between the three extant mammalian groups: the Monotremata, Marsupialia, and Eutheria. Monotremes and marsupials produce highly altricial offspring whereas the neonates of eutherian mammals range from altricial to precocial. The ability of the newborn mammal to leave the environment in which it developed depends highly on the degree of maturation of the cardio-respiratory system at the time of birth. The lung structure is thus a reflection of the metabolic capacity of neonates. The lung development in monotremes (Ornithorhynchus anatinus, Tachyglossus aculeatus), in one marsupial (Monodelphis domestica), and one altricial eutherian (Suncus murinus) species was examined. The results and additional data from the literature were integrated into a morphotype reconstruction of the lung structure of the mammalian neonate. The lung parenchyma of monotremes and marsupials was at the early terminal air sac stage at birth, with large terminal air sacs. The lung developed slowly. In contrast, altricial eutherian neonates had more advanced lungs at the late terminal air sac stage and postnatally, lung maturation proceeded rapidly. The mammalian lung is highly conserved in many respects between monotreme, marsupial, and eutherian species and the structural differences in the neonatal lungs can be explained mainly by different developmental rates. The lung structure of newborn marsupials and monotremes thus resembles the ancestral condition of the mammalian lung at birth, whereas the eutherian newborns have a more mature lung structure.

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Skeleton

Cited by 30 publications

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Hibernation in a monotreme, the echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

Hibernation in a monotreme, the echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

Genome analysis of the platypus reveals unique signatures of evolution

Lung Development of Monotremes: Evidence for the Mammalian Morphotype

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