SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The Potawatomi Zoo announced it is welcoming a new ambassador animal, Teddy the short-beaked echidna. Zoo officials say Teddy was recently moved to Potawatomi from another ...

The platypus, a native of eastern Australia, is a puzzling creature with features from birds, mammals, and reptiles. Male ...

The Australian Research Council has awarded $46.6 million in grant funding to dozens of new collaborative research projects through the latest round of its annual Linkage Program. ARC chief executive ...

For decades, scientists have known that platypuses and echidnas – Australia’s unique egg-laying mammals – have another developmental quirk: they don’t use the same genetic toolkit as other mammals to ...

In almost all mammals, male sex-determination occurs via the SRY gene on the male Y chromosome. Monotremes have evolved a totally different sex chromosome system that lacks the SRY gene.

In the vast tapestry of animal life on Earth, monotremes stand out as evolutionary marvels. These rare creatures represent the only living mammals that lay eggs rather than giving birth to live young, ...

Between backward-facing-feet, nipple-less milk secretion and egg-laying, platypuses and echidnas are some of the strangest ...

A new study suggests the platypus and echidna — the only egg-laying mammals — had a water-dwelling ancestor. The finding could upend what’s known of their evolution.

A new study suggests the platypus and echidna — the only egg-laying mammals — had a water-dwelling ancestor. The finding could upend what’s known of their evolution.

This would be surprising, because it’s so rare for mammals that have adapted to the water to return to a purely land-based lifestyle, but it would explain some of echidnas’ strange traits. Monotremes ...