Overview
Ornithorhynchidae is one of the two extant families in the order , and contains the Platypus and its extinct relatives. The other family is the Tachyglossidae, or echidnas. Within Ornithorhynchidae are two genera, Obdurodon and Ornithorhynchus:
- Family Ornithorhynchidae
- Genus †Obdurodon — an ancient branch of the platypus family
- †Obdurodon dicksoni
- †Obdurodon insignis
- †Obdurodon/Monotrematum sudamericanum
- Genus Ornithorhynchus
- Ornithorhynchus anatinus (the modern Platypus)
- †Ornithorhynchus maximus
- Genus †Obdurodon — an ancient branch of the platypus family
Another two genera, Steropodon and Teinolophos may also belong to Ornithorhynchidae. However, they are both very ancient, and scientific literature seems to indicate that they are closely related to, but not a part of, the Ornithorhynchids.
Photos
Taxonomy
The Family Ornithorhynchidae is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Genus (3): Obdurodon · Ornithorhynchus · Steropodon
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 4 species and subspecies in the Family Ornithorhynchidae.
Genera
Obdurodon
Obdurodon is an extinct genus containing three species. Obdurodon differed from modern Platypuses in that it had molar teeth (in the modern platypus, individuals lose their teeth upon reaching adulthood). [more]
Ornithorhynchus
The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. It is the sole living representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and genus (Ornithorhynchus), though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record. [more]
Steropodon
Steropodon galmani was a prehistoric of monotreme, or egg-laying mammal, that lived during the middle Albian stage, in the Lower Cretaceous period. It is the second-earliest known relative of the Platypus. [more]
More info about the Genus Steropodon may be found here.
References
Media related to Ornithorhynchidae at Wikimedia Commons- Groves, C. (2005). Wilson, D. E., & Reeder, D. M.. ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. p. 2. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3.
Sources
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