Bully For Brontosaurus By Stephen J. Gould: Chapter Analysis
The chapter in Stephen J. Gould’s Bully for Brontosaurus titled “To Be A Platypus” touches on the discovery and classification of the duck-billed platypus native to Australia. The chapter opens with a note on the origin of the telegram, in which the platypus was first described using the four words “monotremes oviparous, ovum meroblastic” by Cambridge biologist W. H. Caldwell. Fundamentally, this translates to the platypus being a mammal that possesses a duck-like bill and lays eggs.
The “duckbill” of the platypus is a result of its adaption to freshwater life. This structure of the animal’s muzzle allows it to feed in freshwater as a duck would, which is likely the source of some of the more birdlike descriptions of the animal in the chapter.
Similarly, the platypus possesses a coat of waterproof hair that allows it to delve into cold stream water in search of food. The importance of adaption is emphasized in the chapter, meaning that in order to thrive in its given habitat throughout the years, the evolutionary platypus has had to develop a combination of seemingly conflicting parts.
The platypus is a mammal classified under the order Monotremata, which are the only mammals that lay eggs rather than giving birth to live young. The name of this order of animals was coined by Etienne Geoffrey Saint-Hilaire, who was persistent in the egg-laying nature of the platypus. His conclusion was met with heavy skepticism by Johann F. Meckel, who is responsible for the discovery of the mammary glands of the platypus. There was certainly no way that a warm-blooded, vertebrate mammal (classified foremost by their mammary glands) could also be an egg-laying animal…right?
Centuries down the line, it makes sense that a water-dwelling animal would evolve to lay eggs, however these scientists could not seem to reach an agreement on the proper classification of the platypus at the time of its discovery. Throughout the chapter, the animal is often described as “reptilian” due to the consistency of its eggs, despite its place in the Mammalian class. According to the chapter, the reproductive nature of the platypus was the cause for much contention in the scientific community, before the eventual discovery of its eggs by Caldwell that finally laid the mystery to rest with his telegram.
To conclude, the oviparous habits of the platypus do not exclude it from its place among other warm-blooded, vertebrate mammals. While some may see the platypus as a bumbling conglomerate of senseless parts, “To Be A Platypus” paints the animal as a unique creature of intricate design. Gould portrays the platypus for what it is: a one-of-a-kind mammal that has evolved and overcome to best suit its environment.
The “duckbill” of the platypus is a result of its adaption to freshwater life. This structure of the animal’s muzzle allows it to feed in freshwater as a duck would, which is likely the source of some of the more birdlike descriptions of the animal in the chapter.
Similarly, the platypus possesses a coat of waterproof hair that allows it to delve into cold stream water in search of food. The importance of adaption is emphasized in the chapter, meaning that in order to thrive in its given habitat throughout the years, the evolutionary platypus has had to develop a combination of seemingly conflicting parts.
The platypus is a mammal classified under the order Monotremata, which are the only mammals that lay eggs rather than giving birth to live young. The name of this order of animals was coined by Etienne Geoffrey Saint-Hilaire, who was persistent in the egg-laying nature of the platypus. His conclusion was met with heavy skepticism by Johann F. Meckel, who is responsible for the discovery of the mammary glands of the platypus. There was certainly no way that a warm-blooded, vertebrate mammal (classified foremost by their mammary glands) could also be an egg-laying animal…right?
Centuries down the line, it makes sense that a water-dwelling animal would evolve to lay eggs, however these scientists could not seem to reach an agreement on the proper classification of the platypus at the time of its discovery. Throughout the chapter, the animal is often described as “reptilian” due to the consistency of its eggs, despite its place in the Mammalian class. According to the chapter, the reproductive nature of the platypus was the cause for much contention in the scientific community, before the eventual discovery of its eggs by Caldwell that finally laid the mystery to rest with his telegram.
To conclude, the oviparous habits of the platypus do not exclude it from its place among other warm-blooded, vertebrate mammals. While some may see the platypus as a bumbling conglomerate of senseless parts, “To Be A Platypus” paints the animal as a unique creature of intricate design. Gould portrays the platypus for what it is: a one-of-a-kind mammal that has evolved and overcome to best suit its environment.