In our modern world, there are three major groups of mammals: placentals (that’s most of us), marsupials, and the rare and bizarre monotremes. Today’s monotremes – that’s echidnas and platypuses – are famous for their seemingly “un-mammalian” features: they lack external ears, they deliver milk without nipples, and they even lay eggs! This episode, we discuss what makes monotremes unique, the many questions still unanswered about their ancient history, and whether or not they are truly good representatives of early mammal evolution.
In the news: weird mosasaur teeth, Tibetan sabertooths, marsupial growth, and giant pliosaurs.
Time markers:
Intro & Announcements: 00:00:00
News: 00:07:50
Main discussion, Part 1: 00:38:00
Main discussion, Part 2: 01:11:40
Patron question: 02:01:10
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The Intro and Outro music is “On the Origin of Species” by Protodome.
More music like this at http://ocremix.org.
Musical Interludes are "Professor Umlaut" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Patron Mini-Episode Compilation
Silver Screen Science - Tremors
Episode 83 - Coelacanths
Episode 82 - Trilobites
Episode 81 - Metamorphosis
Episode 80 - Mary Anning
Episode 79 - Pterosaurs
DragonCon 2019 Paleontology Hour Panel
Episode 78 - Exaptation
End of the Year Q&A 2019
Episode 77 - Fins to Feet: The Fish-Tetrapod Transition
Episode 76 - Horse Evolution
...But We Digress - Pokemon Paleontology
Episode 75 - The Great Oxidation Event
Episode 74 - South America
Episode 73 - Trees
Spook-E - Chimeras
Episode 72 - Plesiosaurs
Spook-E - Hydras
Spook-E - Gorgons
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