Mapping the Platypus Genome

Mark Batzer of Louisiana State University, along with an international group of scientists led by Wes Warren at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., recently completed the first draft sequence and analysis of the platypus genome.

The platypus, found in eastern Australia, including Tasmania, is one of the five species of mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young, and possesses an odd combination of features that are found in reptiles and birds as well. For more information about the effort, including video interviews, see the press release.

Credit: Gerry Pearce, australian-wildlife.com