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.
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.