# The Platypus and Evolution **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 24, 2012, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477 "2012-01-24T04:52:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/41 "2012-01-25T23:19:43Z")
> [@AndyLee](#): > > Do you think the male platypi have psychological issues because they weren’t breast fed? And do you think the female playtpi have spur envy? Platypuses. If you must, platipodes. Greek, not Latin. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/42 "2012-01-26T01:30:57Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Platypuses. If you must, platipodes. Greek, not Latin. [Yeah. . . . no.](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/platypus) That plural shows up in print as early as the 19th century. I’ve always suspected that there’s some reluctance to use the “regular” plural for this word, as well as “octopus” because the speaker/writer might think they sound dirty. And maybe not. I am mostly in accord with your point, but our opinions count for little against the random actions of the untold numbers who dictate what dictionary editors include and exclude. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/43 "2012-01-26T02:18:49Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > [Yeah. . . . no.](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/platypus) That plural shows up in print as early as the 19th century. I’ve always suspected that there’s some reluctance to use the “regular” plural for this word, as well as “octopus” because the speaker/writer might think they sound dirty. And maybe not. > I am mostly in accord with your point, but our opinions count for little against the random actions of the untold numbers who dictate what dictionary editors include and exclude. I was sort of joking. If enough people use “platypi” as the plural, then it’s the plural. But I figure most people around here would like to know what the actual deal is, and the generally accepted plural is “platypuses”, and that “pus” is from the Greek, not Latin, and if you want to use the standard plural for Greek, it wouldn’t be the Latin form. One might argue that the full word is a combo of Latin and Greek, and so a Latin ending could be justified. But it isn’t necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/44 "2012-01-26T14:51:58Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > The only way that ‘evolution could not have come up with such a creature’ argument stands, would be if someone was claiming the platypus was transitional between otters and ducks, which (outside of creationist strawmen) nobody actually does. DAMN you! I was just going to post that “theory”. Go and ruin a perfectly good joke. Grumble grumble grumble harumph. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/45 "2012-01-26T15:07:44Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Australia doesn’t even have an equivalents to the genets, minks, bush dogs or raccoons that are semi-aquatic omnivores. There just aren’t any animals exploiting these niches. This is a large part of the reason why water buffalo are such a major problem. Australia’s wetlands produce massive amounts of food for which there is no absolutely no competition for at least 4 months of the year. Not since 1935. The [Cane Toad](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_toads_in_Australia) has expanded into that niche quite nicely. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2012, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/46 "2012-01-26T23:51:42Z")
Bwuh? A toad that eats insects and other small critters has expanded into the niche occupied by water buffalo? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/47 "2012-01-27T00:02:38Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Bwuh? A toad that eats insects and other small critters has expanded into the niche occupied by water buffalo? They are _ **very** _ big toads. They eat almost everything and nothing eats them. There’s a [great video](http://www.amazon.com/Cane-Toads-Unnatural-Tip-Byrne/dp/B00005JG6X) about the cane toad invasion in Australia, made in 1988, available thru Netflix. I understand there is a sequel made by the same production company. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/48 "2012-01-27T00:30:50Z")
“Very big” means six inches long, tops. “Almost anything” means anything that moves that is inattentive enough to walk past the toad, and which the toad can fit in its mouth. They are not active predators like genets, minks, bush dogs or raccoons, and don’t eat grass. There is so little comparison between the animals (and niche) that **Blake** is talking about and cane toads that I have to wonder if your post is a whoosh. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/49 "2012-01-27T00:38:47Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > “Very big” means six inches long, tops. “Almost anything” means anything that moves that is inattentive enough to walk past the toad, and which the toad can fit in its mouth. They are not active predators like genets, minks, bush dogs or raccoons, and don’t eat grass. > > There is so little comparison between the animals (and niche) that **Blake** is talking about and cane toads that I have to wonder if your post is a whoosh. I will admit swallowing a water buffalo might be a bit challenging to a cane toad. But they have been credited with decimation of almost everything else, including large dogs (dogs bite, then die from the poison). Anything ping-pong ball size or smaller is swallowed without interrogation or trial by jury, and the tadpoles aggressively force out other species. It’s a textbook example of invasive species at the worst. Watch the video program if you doubt. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/50 "2012-01-27T00:48:43Z")
**Musicat** I saw Cane Toads - an Unnatural History when it came out in 1988 and many times since. It’s very funny and kinda basically factual but is somewhat alarmist and it exaggerates for comic effect. Queenslanders such as myself are more than a little familiar with this subject matter. I used to catch cane toads to earn pocket money as a kid. I have several living (on borrowed time, let me tell you) in my back yard. They don’t wipe out everything. There are plenty of dogs and cats and birds and snakes and goannas and whatnot in Queensland, despite cane toads. There are rumours that certain teenage boys have found that if you tap a cane toad lightly on the head with say a nine iron or a pitching wedge they will sit up like as if their head was on a tee, and that if you then take a really good swing they will fly at least, ooh, ten or fifteen yards before falling in a deceased heap. Not that I would know. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/51 "2012-01-27T00:56:56Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > There are rumours that certain teenage boys have found that if you tap a cane toad lightly on the head with say a nine iron or a pitching wedge they will sit up like as if their head was on a tee, and that if you then take a really good swing they will fly at least, ooh, ten or fifteen yards before falling in a deceased heap. Not that I would know. I envy you. All we have for teenage entertainment is cow tipping. ---
**Author:** ![New\_Deal\_Democrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9d8465/32.png) [@New\_Deal\_Democrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Deal_Democrat)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/52 "2012-01-27T09:56:43Z")
Mammals evolved from a reptile species that had mammal characteristics. Eventually it had so many mammal characteristics that we consider it to be a mammal. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/53 "2012-01-27T10:19:04Z")
> [@New\_Deal\_Democrat](#): > > Mammals evolved from a reptile species that had mammal characteristics. Eventually it had so many mammal characteristics that we consider it to be a mammal. No. Mammals and reptiles share a common ancestor. One did not evolve form the other. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/54 "2012-01-27T11:27:48Z")
Nitpick: Mammals are descended from [Synapsids](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammal-like_reptile), who were once called “mammal-like reptiles”; however, according to modern, cladistic definitions, they are more properly referred to as “stem-mammals” or “proto-mammals”. Either way, while superficially lizard-like, they were not reptiles. ---
**Author:** ![stevekelner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@stevekelner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stevekelner)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/55 "2012-01-27T15:00:24Z")
“He’s a semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammal of action He’s a furry little flatfoot who’ll never flinch from a fray He has more than just mad skill He has a beaver tail and a bill and the women swoon whenever they hear him say: (platypus noise) He’s Perry! Perry the Platypus! Agent P!” – from Phineas and Ferb. Obviously the platypus was put here to save the Earth – or at least the Tri-State Area. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@Captain\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_M)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/56 "2012-01-27T17:22:56Z")
Just as an aside this all reminds me of a scene from the movie “Oh God, Book II.” God, played by George Burns is visiting an 11 year old girl ,and as part of the rolling theocratic dialogue, admits that he makes mistakes too, citing the platypus is one of them. The girl then makes a criticism of the giraffe, and God retorts “The Giraffe’s not a mistake: The long neck is so that it can eat off the tall trees.” ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/57 "2012-01-27T19:29:29Z")
Just for some further reading: [Earlier thread on monotremes](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=461711) [Thread not on monotremes](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=327069), but still has a lot of great information. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpax181](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3da27b/32.png) [@wolfpax181](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpax181)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/58 "2012-01-28T18:19:20Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I was sort of joking. If enough people use “platypi” as the plural, then it’s the plural. But I figure most people around here would like to know what the actual deal is, and the generally accepted plural is “platypuses”, and that “pus” is from the Greek, not Latin, and if you want to use the standard plural for Greek, it wouldn’t be the Latin form. > > One might argue that the full word is a combo of Latin and Greek, and so a Latin ending could be justified. But it isn’t necessary. One might argue that the very name of the creature in question is just as mixed up as the creature itself. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/59 "2012-01-28T18:35:17Z")
_Mind me platypus duck, Bill Mind me platypus duck…_ ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2012, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477/60 "2012-01-31T08:15:22Z")
Really, the Platypus is no more an oddity than any other animal (except perhaps an oddity of circumstance) - and there are any number of examples of other animals that, if only considered superficially, look like they’re a mixture of two or more unrelated things (armadilloes, pangolins and hummingbird hawkmoths, for example). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-platypus-and-evolution/610477.md?page=2)