Echidna Development
Introduction
The Echidna family consists of 2 major groups the short-beaked in Australia and long-beaked in New Guinea and Indonesia (Irian Jaya). Together with the platypus these are the only 3 surviving genera of the order Monotremata.
The echidna is a unique egg-laying mammal, the embryo is referred too as a "puggle" (not to be confused with the dog breed, produced by mating a Pug with a Beagle) and is not a common animal model of mammalian embryonic development.
The New Guinea long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bruijni bartoni) is currently on the endangered category (More? Zoo Threatened Species list)
Some Recent Findings
- Cool sex? Hibernation and reproduction overlap in the echidna. Morrow G, Nicol SC. PLoS One. 2009 Jun 29;4(6):e6070.
- "During hibernation there is a slowing of all metabolic processes, and thus it is normally considered to be incompatible with reproduction. ... The mating of males with torpid females is the result of extreme competition between promiscuous males, while re-entry into hibernation by pregnant females could improve the possibility of mating with a better quality male."
- Characterisation of monotreme caseins reveals lineage-specific expansion of an ancestral casein locus in mammals. Lefèvre CM, Sharp JA, Nicholas KR. Reprod Fertil Dev. 2009;21(8):1015-27. PMID: 19874726
- "...Overall, the conservation of the genomic organisation of the caseins indicates the early, pre-monotreme development of the fundamental role of caseins during lactation. In contrast, the lineage-specific gene duplications that have occurred within the casein locus of monotremes and eutherians but not marsupials, which may have lost part of the ancestral casein locus, emphasises the independent selection on milk provision strategies to the young, most likely linked to different developmental strategies. The monotremes therefore provide insight into the ancestral drivers for lactation and how these have adapted in different lineages."
- Behringer RR, Eakin GS, Renfree MB. Mammalian Diversity: gametes, embryos and reproduction Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 2006 18, 99-107.
- "... Monotremes are remarkable because these mammals are born from eggs laid outside of the mother's body. Marsupial mammals have relatively short gestation periods and give birth to highly altricial young that continue a significant amount of "fetal" development after birth, supported by a highly sophisticated lactation. Less than 10% of mammalian species are monotremes or marsupials, so the great majority of mammals are grouped into the subclass Eutheria, including mouse and human."
- Ashwell KW. [See Related Articles] Cyto- and chemoarchitecture of the monotreme olfactory tubercle. Brain Behav Evol. 2006;67(2):85-102.
- "... The small olfactory tubercle region in the platypus is consistent with poor olfaction in that aquatic mammal, but the tubercle in the echidna is more like that of a microsmatic mammal than other placentals occupying a similar niche (e.g., insectivores)."
- Ashwell KW, Hardman CD, Paxinos G. [See Related Articles] Cyto- and chemoarchitecture of the sensory trigeminal nuclei of the echidna, platypus and rat. J Chem Neuroanat. 2006 Feb;31(2):81-107.
- "..... Our findings indicate that the trigeminal nuclei of the echidna do not appear to be highly specialized, but that the principal, oralis and interpolaris subnuclei of the platypus trigeminal complex are highly differentiated, presumably for processing of tactile and electrosensory information from the bill."
Taxon
Short-beaked Echidna - Tachyglossus aculeatus
Long-beaked Echidna - Zaglossus bruijni
Tachyglossus aculeatus Lineage (full) cellular organisms; Eukaryota; Fungi/Metazoa group; Metazoa; Eumetazoa; Bilateria; Coelomata; Deuterostomia; Chordata; Craniata; Vertebrata; Gnathostomata; Teleostomi; Euteleostomi; Sarcopterygii; Tetrapoda; Amniota; Mammalia; Prototheria; Monotremata; Tachyglossidae; Tachyglossus
Echidna Zaglossus bruijn Lineage (full) cellular organisms; Eukaryota; Fungi/Metazoa group; Metazoa; Eumetazoa; Bilateria; Coelomata; Deuterostomia; Chordata; Craniata; Vertebrata; Gnathostomata; Teleostomi; Euteleostomi; Sarcopterygii; Tetrapoda; Amniota; Mammalia; Prototheria; Monotremata; Tachyglossidae
Development Overview
Gestation is from 22 to 23 days. (based upon 20 observed matings and documenting 30 incidences of egg laying, Rismiller, 1999).
Egg only a single egg is generally laid.
Incubation lasts for approximately 10 days after laying, the hatched embryo (puggle) requires further development.
Embryo after hatching hangs from hairs and succles from a "mammary gland" (mammary hairs) in the pouch for approximately 50 days and continues to develop.
WWW Links
Pelican Lagoon Research & Wildlife Centre Echidna Research
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List | Zaglossus bruijni Australasian Marsupial & Monotreme Specialist Group 1996. Zaglossus bruijni. In: IUCN 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 13 February 2006.
The Australian Mammal Society Species Short-beaked Echidna | Long-beaked Echidna
Access Excellence The National Health Museum (USA) Australian Mammals: Evolutionary Development as a Result of Geographic Isolation
Science Alert CRCA Media Release 05/29 Echidna milk to reveal its secrets for dairy
Wombaroo Food Products Echidna Milk Replacer
Note: The dynamic nature of the web means that some Links over time change, it the above links no longer function search the web using the first bold term.
References
Reviews
- Rowe MJ, Mahns DA, Bohringer RC, Ashwell KW, Sahai V. [See Related Articles] Tactile neural mechanisms in monotremes. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 2003 Dec;136(4):883-93. Review.
- Musser AM. [See Related Articles] Review of the monotreme fossil record and comparison of palaeontological and molecular data. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 2003 Dec;136(4):927-42. Review.
- Belov K, Hellman L. [See Related Articles] Immunoglobulin genetics of Ornithorhynchus anatinus (platypus) and Tachyglossus aculeatus (short-beaked echidna). Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 2003 Dec;136(4):811-9. Review.
- Temple-Smith P, Grant T. [See Related Articles] Uncertain breeding: a short history of reproduction in monotremes. Reprod Fertil Dev. 2001;13(7-8):487-97. Review.
Articles
- Characterisation of monotreme caseins reveals lineage-specific expansion of an ancestral casein locus in mammals. Lefèvre CM, Sharp JA, Nicholas KR. Reprod Fertil Dev. 2009;21(8):1015-27. PMID: 19874726
- Selwood L, Johnson MH. [See Related Articles] Trophoblast and hypoblast in the monotreme, marsupial and eutherian mammal: evolution and origins. Bioessays. 2006 Feb;28(2):128-45.
- Ashwell KW. [See Related Articles] Cyto- and chemoarchitecture of the monotreme olfactory tubercle. Brain Behav Evol. 2006;67(2):85-102.
- Ashwell KW, Hardman CD, Paxinos G. [See Related Articles] Cyto- and chemoarchitecture of the sensory trigeminal nuclei of the echidna, platypus and rat. J Chem Neuroanat. 2006 Feb;31(2):81-107.
- Thorp BH, Dixon JM. [See Related Articles] Cartilaginous bone extremities of growing monotremes appear unique. Anat Rec. 1991 Apr;229(4):447-52.
- Keast JR. [See Related Articles] Innervation of the monotreme gastrointestinal tract: a study of peptide and catecholamine distribution. J Comp Neurol. 1993 Aug 8;334(2):228-40.
- Manger PR, Fahringer HM, Pettigrew JD, Siegel JM. [See Related Articles] The distribution and morphological characteristics of cholinergic cells in the brain of monotremes as revealed by ChAT immunohistochemistry. Brain Behav Evol. 2002;60(5):275-97.
Books
The Echidna: Australia's Enigma (Hardcover, 1999), by Peggy Rismiller (Amazon Link) "The oldest surviving mammal on the planet is also one of the most intriguing. Peggy Rismiller, the world's foremost echidna expert, traces the history of this fascinating animal that is native to Australia and New Guinea. A combination of mammal, reptile, and marsupial, echidnas produce milk, but unlike mammals, they are egg-laying creatures and, like marsupials, they have a modified pouch for nurturing their young. This odd animal has two backward-facing appendages and two forward-facing ones. These and other bizarre biological traits are discussed in detail in this thorough guide. Amazing photographs of echidnas enliven Rismiller's text, which includes Aboriginal tribal legends about the animal as well as the latest information on biological research being conducted today. With fossils dating back 120 million years, the echidna lived alongside dinosaurs, but unlike the giant reptiles, it survived. Its story and biology teach a fascinating lesson about endurance, survival, and sustainability."
American Museum Novitates (American Museum of Natural History) [%20http://library.amnh.org/pubs/novbackf.html Van Deusen, H. M., and G. G. George.] Results of the Archbold Expeditions.< No. 90. Notes on the echidnas (Mammalia: Tachyglossidae) of New Guinea. American Museum Novitates, 2383:1-23 (1969)
Search PubMed
Search Jan2006 "Echidna development" 303 reference articles of which 20 were reviews.
Search PubMed: Echidna development | monotreme development
Animal Development: axolotl | bat | cat | chicken | cow | dog | dolphin | echidna | fly | frog | goat | grasshopper | guinea pig | hamster | horse | kangaroo | koala | lizard | medaka | mouse | opossum | pig | platypus | rabbit | rat | salamander | sea squirt | sea urchin | sheep | worm | zebrafish | life cycles | development timetable | development models | K12 |
Glossary Links
- Glossary: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Numbers | Symbols | Term Link
Cite this page: Hill, M.A. (2024, June 27) Embryology Echidna Development. Retrieved from https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Echidna_Development
- © Dr Mark Hill 2024, UNSW Embryology ISBN: 978 0 7334 2609 4 - UNSW CRICOS Provider Code No. 00098G