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Obdurodon
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{{Taxobox
| color = pink
| name = ''Obdurodon''
| status = {{StatusFossil}}
| regnum =
Animalia
| phylum =
Chordate Chordata
| classis =
Mammalia
| ordo =
Monotremata
| familia =
Ornithorhynchidae
| genus = '''''Obdurodon'''''
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
*''Obdurodon dicksoni''
*''Obdurodon insignis''
*''Monotrematum sudamericanum''
}}
'''Obdurodon''' is an extinct
genus of
platypus containing three species. Obdurodon differed from modern platypi in that it still had
teeth (except for juveniles, the modern
platypus does not have teeth).
Species
''Obdurodon dicksoni''
=Generalities
=
* Discovered in 1984 by Michael Archer, F. A. Jenkins, S. J. Hand, P. Murray, and H. Godthelp, at
Riversleigh in
New South Wales.
* Living room : New South Wales
* Epoch : Lower and middle
Miocene
* This species is caracterized by a
skull and several scattered
teeth. Physically, it looked much like modern
platypus although there are a few significant differences.
* The holotype is kept at the Queensland Museum in
Brisbane.
=Most important differences between ''Obdurodon dicksoni'' and platypus
=
* '''Obdurodon dicksoni''' is bigger than a
platypus.
* The septomaxilla (a part of the upper jawbone) of '''Obdurodon dicksoni''' is bigger than for modern platypuses, which supposes a hypertrophied beak.
* The
coronoid process and
angulary process of '''Obdurodon dicksoni''' have quite disappeared in the platypus, leaving the platypus's skull flat on the sides. This indicates that the mastication technique of '''Obdurodon dicksoni''' was different from that of the current platypus, using the muscles anchored to these processes.
* '''Odurodon dicksoni''''s beak has an oval hole surrounded by bones in the center whereas the platypus' beak has a V-shape and isn't stopped on top.
* '''Obdurodon dicksoni''' has
molars, whereas the platypus uses keratinized pads (only young platypuses have teeth).
* It seems, due to the shape of the beak, that '''Obdurodon dicksoni''' nourished itself digging in the sides of rivers whereas the platypus digs in the bottom of the river.
=Teeth of ''Obdurodon dicksoni''
=
I still have to do it. Please don't work on it !!
''Obdurodon insignis''
* Discovered in 1975 by Mike O. Woodburne and Dick H. Tedford at Etudunna Formation in the desert of Tirari.
* Living room :
South Australia
* Epoch : Upper
Oligocene
* The holotype is an inferior left
molar and is kept in the
South Australia's Museum,
Adelaide. She has six roots. There also have been found M2 with four roots and fragments of jawbone and pelvis. Obdurodon insignis had one more canine tooth (NC1) than his ancestor
Steropodon galmani. His beak must have been relatively more little than the one of '''Obdurodon dicksoni'''.
''Monotrematum sudamericanum''
* Discovered in 1992 by Rosendo Pascual, Michael Archer, E. O. Juareguizar, J. L. Prado, H. Godthelp, and S. J. Hand, at
Punta Peligro,
Argentina.
* Living room :
Patagonia
* Epoch : Lower
Paleocene (21 million years)
* Monotrematum sudamericanum is now more often held as part of the same genus as '''Obdurodon'''. It is known only from two lower and one upper
platypus teeth. It is the only known non-
Australasian platypus. The main difference, apart from continent and age, is its size : the teeth of ''Monotrematum'' are around twice as large as other platypuses'. These fossils presently reside in the collections of
Museo de La Plata and
Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, both in Argentina.
* According to Pascual, "The preserved enamel in the central region shows that the crown pattern is almost identical to that of ''Obdurodon'': it is composed of two V-shaped lobes, the anterior of which is wider, separated from the posterior one by a valley that connects the lingual and buccal sides of the crown separating the anterior and posterior lobes."
Links and references
* Archer, ''et al''. "Description of the skull and non-vestigial dentition of a Miocene platypus (''Obdurodon dicksoni'') from Riversleigh, Australia, and the problem of monotreme origins".
* Augee, M.L. "Platypus and Echidnas".
Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales. 1992. Pages 15-27. (O. dicksoni).
* Pascual, ''et al''. "First discovery of monotremes in South America". ''Nature'' '''356''' (1992), Pages 704-706 (Monotrematum).
* Woodburne and Tedford. "The first Tertiary Monotreme from Australia."
American Museum. Novitates Number 2588. 1975. Pages 1-11. (O. insignis).
Category:Prehistoric monotremes
et:Obdurodon
fr:Obdurodon dicksoni
pt:Obdurodon dicksoni
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