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An Antipodal Mystery

By Clyde Freeman Herreid

An Antipodal Mystery


 

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.

   

Date Posted

08/15/2005

Overview

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; Australia

  

Subject Headings

Biology (General)
Evolutionary Biology
Zoology

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

High school, Undergraduate lower division

  

FORMAT

PDF

   

TOPICAL AREAS

History of science, Scientific method

   

LANGUAGE

English

   

TYPE/METHODS

Interrupted

 

 

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