Genetic Make up for Platypuses...

[AKA_Monet]

Just for you Cheerful!!! I think it is interesting...

Scientists map the genetic makeup of the platypus

By ROHAN SULLIVAN – 6 hours ago

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — With a bill like a duck, a tail like a beaver and snake-like venom hidden in heel spurs, the platypus could be the result of some strange genetic experiment.

And it is, scientists say: evolution.

A scientific team published the genetic makeup of the Australian animal in the scientific journal Nature on Thursday, confirming that its features — which straddle multiple animal classes — are reflected in its DNA.

The research could help explain how mammals, including humans, evolved from reptiles millions of years ago, they said.

"At first glance, the platypus appears as if it was the result of an evolutionary accident," said Francis S. Collins, director of the U.S. National Human Genome Research Institute, which funded the study.

"But as weird as this animal looks, its genome sequence is priceless for understanding how mammalian biological processes evolved," Collins said in a statement.

More than 100 scientists from the United States, Australia, Japan and other nations took part in mapping the genome, using DNA collected from a female platypus named Glennie.

Wow!!!

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

Just for you Cheerful!!! I think it is interesting...






Wow!!!

I don't know that much about them. They're very strange though. They live more on the eastern side of Australia and I have more of an understanding of mammals in North America or Africa. Of course domesticated animals too, but the Platypus is an egg laying mammal, so I'm not too familiar with them.

I do know that there are five species of egg laying mammals, as far as I know of. Genetically I'm not sure how the platypus evolved, but you would think they may have some kind of genetic connection to Echidnas. They also lay eggs, and live in the same region. They're mostly nocturnal too, so I think they're may be some genetic similarities here. Who knows?

They could have evolved from dinosaurs from any of the most recent time periods, or some type of mammal from the Tertiary period, but we really would have to look at the regions and/or time period to make a wild guess.

ETA: Thanks for posting this. :-)

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

I don't know that much about them. They're very strange though. They live more on the eastern side of Australia and I have more of an understanding of mammals in North America or Africa. Of course domesticated animals too, but the Platypus is an egg laying mammal, so I'm not too familiar with them.

I do know that there are five species of egg laying mammals, as far as I know of. Genetically I'm not sure how the platypus evolved, but you would think they may have some kind of genetic connection to Echidnas. They also lay eggs, and live in the same region. They're mostly nocturnal too, so I think they're may be some genetic similarities here. Who knows?

They could have evolved from dinosaurs from any of the most recent time periods, or some type of mammal from the Tertiary period, but we really would have to look at the regions and/or time period to make a wild guess.

ETA: Thanks for posting this. :-)

What my husband said what he finds interesting about these animals is that they are the "transition" from reptiles to birds to mammals--because the platypi share genetic code for all 3 types of kingdoms. The platypus has venom in its legs like poisonous snakes and other reptiles. The females lay eggs, both genders have bills like ducks and they have fur and a undefined mammary glands.

The genetic map is the full DNA map of these animals with several duplications of a number of genes. I did not read how many chromosomes it had and it sounds like there is a ploidy issue--like one too many sex chromosomes...

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

What my husband said what he finds interesting about these animals is that they are the "transition" from reptiles to birds to mammals--because the platypi share genetic code for all 3 types of kingdoms. The platypus has venom in its legs like poisonous snakes and other reptiles. The females lay eggs, both genders have bills like ducks and they have fur and a undefined mammary glands.

The genetic map is the full DNA map of these animals with several duplications of a number of genes. I did not read how many chromosomes it had and it sounds like there is a ploidy issue--like one too many sex chromosomes...

That makes so much sense what your husband said about them. It's true that very disimilar animals have turned out to have very similar genes. The platypus looks so bizarre but unique, and just think the DNA sequences that are responsible for giving animals their unique appearance was out of reach until recently.

That's interesting what you were saying about their DNA map. What I've noticed in a lot of mammals is that mutations in DNA that control body shaping genes themselves, have been a significant source of evolving differences among animals. I think to get a better understanding of what distinguishes animals, including ourselves, from one another, we have to look beyond genes. The reason why is because only a small fraction of genes are devoted to the construction and pattering of animal bodies during their development from fertilized egg to adult. I think it's like less than 10%.

It's totally amazing how the hundreds of millions to billions of letters of DNA code that make up the genetic recipe for each species.

Does your husband know anything about Viper fish? I have a DVD on them, and other species of fish in the deep. Like body crushing deep. lol, The fish that live that deep look SO weird. Some of them light up and the jelly fish that live down there are amazing to look at. I don't know much about them, with the exception of what I've watched. Have you heard of these fish?

ETA: Also when I was watching that DVD, I saw that there are some species of shark that can get that deep without being crushed, but they only go that deep for food. They can't stay down there too long though because of the water temperature.

ETA again. lol: Speaking of DNA, last night I was watching Jurassic Park for like the 10th time, and I think that would be the coolest thing to really have a park like that. I would travel there at least 3-5 times a year :-).

[honeychile]

This may have nothing to do with your discussion, but our dog belongs to his specific breed society. We were all sent DNA kits to swab them this week, to determine the genetic makeup. For some reason, this really excites me!

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

ETA again. lol: Speaking of DNA, last night I was watching Jurassic Park for like the 10th time, and I think that would be the coolest thing to really have a park like that. I would travel there at least 3-5 times a year :-).

We make our students -- pre-freshmen, have an "Ethics Court" trial whether to clone dinosaurs like Jurassic Park... Do you know that in the book, the code listed in as Dino code is pBR322!!!

At any rate, we make the students serve on the pro side vs. the con side of the issue and present their "cases". Welp, after speaking to my husband about the issue, who is overwhelmingly on the con side, pointed out, once you make like a brontosaurus--who's gonna clean up the poop? Most the students never thought of that issue--so they all voted not make real-time sized dinos...

As for the other things, no my hunny has ever heard of a viper fish... He probably has, but, he into the NBA finals...

I think there are a few sharks that go below depths to feed. There is this one that has a shorter fractional shortening--the Z lines are closer to each other with a few more mitochondria powering the muscles in the Alaskan waters... I imagine that great whites go low depths or the swim far? And the whale sharks--just saw 4 of them up close and personal at the Georgia Aquarium, can go similar depths to some real mammalian whales.

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by honeychile

This may have nothing to do with your discussion, but our dog belongs to his specific breed society. We were all sent DNA kits to swab them this week, to determine the genetic makeup. For some reason, this really excites me!

What is your dog's breed? Will you get an annotation and/or his sequence, too?

I use to have to read sequence--I hated it with a passion.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

We make our students -- pre-freshmen, have an "Ethics Court" trial whether to clone dinosaurs like Jurassic Park... Do you know that in the book, the code listed in as Dino code is pBR322!!!

At any rate, we make the students serve on the pro side vs. the con side of the issue and present their "cases". Welp, after speaking to my husband about the issue, who is overwhelmingly on the con side, pointed out, once you make like a brontosaurus--who's gonna clean up the poop? Most the students never thought of that issue--so they all voted not make real-time sized dinos...

As for the other things, no my hunny has ever heard of a viper fish... He probably has, but, he into the NBA finals...

I think there are a few sharks that go below depths to feed. There is this one that has a shorter fractional shortening--the Z lines are closer to each other with a few more mitochondria powering the muscles in the Alaskan waters... I imagine that great whites go low depths or the swim far? And the whale sharks--just saw 4 of them up close and personal at the Georgia Aquarium, can go similar depths to some real mammalian whales.

By the time we're able to create dinosaurs, if that ever happens, I'll be long gone...I'm sure. Cloning mega dinos would be so cool. I wouldn't worry about the feces, because it could be used as fertilizer. When dinos were here, the feces were broken down after time just like any other waste from animals.

I'm going out of town this weekend to a field museum. I'm really excited. The last time I was there they had a full size T-Rex fossil. When I took a look at the real head, I was so amazed. It was huge, and the teeth had to be well over 6 inches long. The presentation was really good, and they said that paleontologist believe that the T-Rex spent a lot of it's time with it's body parallel to the ground. I loved Jurassic Park, but I hardly think a real T-Rex could have kept up with a Jeep. I guess that was to make the movie more exciting. It's pretty easy to tell how fast they could have traveled based on animal body forms today. They weren't that fast. Then again I could be wrong, I wasn't around when they were here. Oh, and I'm looking forward to seeing the exhibit on our solar system and beyond too.

Another good DNA fictional movie was "The Fly". The computer got confused and fused a fly's DNA with a man's DNA. Of course that would never happen. Though biologist are now deciphering the DNA record to locate the instructions that make the different species of flies, it's so different in humans, because the protein coding stretches of DNA make up a very small amount of our genome, so our genes are really like little islands of information.

When your husband isn't watching the NBA, a great DVD to pick up is Creatures of the Abyss. I think that's the name. I'll have to double check though.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

What is your dog's breed?

I was going to ask her the same question?

[RU OX Alum]

BUMP

this is the most interesting, or one of the most anyway, threads i've ever read on greekchat

thank you all for sharing your knowledge

[DSTCHAOS]

We always called them "duck bill platypus" and I have never seen one in person (I guess at a zoo, since they are in Australia) but have always thought they were wierd.

As with all things that intrigue me, I will now obsess over finding out more about it.

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

By the time we're able to create dinosaurs, if that ever happens, I'll be long gone...I'm sure. Cloning mega dinos would be so cool. I wouldn't worry about the feces, because it could be used as fertilizer. When dinos were here, the feces were broken down after time just like any other waste from animals.

I'm going out of town this weekend to a field museum. I'm really excited. The last time I was there they had a full size T-Rex fossil. When I took a look at the real head, I was so amazed. It was huge, and the teeth had to be well over 6 inches long. The presentation was really good, and they said that paleontologist believe that the T-Rex spent a lot of it's time with it's body parallel to the ground. I loved Jurassic Park, but I hardly think a real T-Rex could have kept up with a Jeep. I guess that was to make the movie more exciting. It's pretty easy to tell how fast they could have traveled based on animal body forms today. They weren't that fast. Then again I could be wrong, I wasn't around when they were here. Oh, and I'm looking forward to seeing the exhibit on our solar system and beyond too.

Another good DNA fictional movie was "The Fly". The computer got confused and fused a fly's DNA with a man's DNA. Of course that would never happen. Though biologist are now deciphering the DNA record to locate the instructions that make the different species of flies, it's so different in humans, because the protein coding stretches of DNA make up a very small amount of our genome, so our genes are really like little islands of information.

When your husband isn't watching the NBA, a great DVD to pick up is Creatures of the Abyss. I think that's the name. I'll have to double check though.

Have fun in Chicago? The Field Museum--right? A good book to read is also the "Island of Dr. Moreau"-- The movies sucked. Altered States is a weird one, too... And don't forget to READ "Brave New World"--the TV movie did a good attempt but missed things--like the Social Darwinism that was going on at the time of the book's initial publication...

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

Have fun in Chicago? The Field Museum--right? A good book to read is also the "Island of Dr. Moreau"-- The movies sucked. Altered States is a weird one, too... And don't forget to READ "Brave New World"--the TV movie did a good attempt but missed things--like the Social Darwinism that was going on at the time of the book's initial publication...

Yep! lol

That's where I'm going this weekend. I'm already packed. When I come back, I'll look at the books you've mentioned.

Chat with ya Monday.

[honeychile]

Our dog is a Bichon Frise. There's always been some skepticism about their genetic makeup, and so a geneticist is trying to prove exactly what it is (water or other spaniel, poodle, etc). I haven't had the time to really read what all is involved, but I'll keep you all posted!

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Our dog is a Bichon Frise. There's always been some skepticism about their genetic makeup, and so a geneticist is trying to prove exactly what it is (water or other spaniel, poodle, etc). I haven't had the time to really read what all is involved, but I'll keep you all posted!

How much did you pay? The scientists generally do Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms (RFLP) analysis. They have known markers of various breed of dogs that the scientists can tell one breed versus another.

We had to do this with the "GMO mice" we had and used Charles River Labs. It was called microsatellite markers. Other ways are through SNP analysis and haplotype analysis. Says nothing of phenotype...

Based on how much you all paid, is the type of analysis the scientist did.

If you want me to give you a read, I can review the data as you get it. PM me if you want to know more.