![]() ![]() (2009) to create a skeletal reconstruction or life restoration: despite the fragmentary nature of the remains, enough of the animal is known to produce at least a schematic reconstruction, but you might argue that this would be too speculative an exercise, given that we don't know such things as dorsal column length, bill shape and so on. The known bits and pieces aren't used by Iwaniuk et al. It seems only natural to wonder what Talpanas looked like when alive. but, alas, no evidence for an electroreceptive ability. Larry Witmer tells me that work underway on the skull reveals some exciting further insights. The fact that an enlarged trigeminal nerve is also present in platypuses 'raises the intriguing possibility that Talpanas may have relied on more than simple tactile input in prey detection' (p. ![]() (2009) concluded that it was a kiwi-mimicking duck that foraged nocturnally, presumably in sediment or leaf litter. What's known of the palate suggests that the bill was broad-based, but we don't know anything definite about the shape of the whole bill.Ĭombined, these features suggest that Talpanas was a small-eyed, flightless, stout-legged duck that relied on smell and tactile foraging. The nasal cavity was large compared to that of other waterfowl, extending posteriorly (into the region normally occupied by the eyeballs!) to reach the braincase. It had very small eyes and small optic nerves (and hence poor vision), while the trigeminal nerve (associated with relaying tactile information from the face and mouth) was huge. The most interesting features are seen in its braincase. Its tarsometatarsus was proportionally small, so it was short-legged, and its shape best matches that of heavy-bodied terrestrial waterfowl. (2009) were able to estimate a body mass for Talpanas (692-1072 g, about equivalent to a Northern pintail Anas acuta), and establish how peculiar its proportions were. By comparing the measurements of these elements with those of other waterfowl, Iwaniuk et al. So far as I know, only the braincase, posterior part of the lower jaw, tarsometatarsus and posterior part of the pelvis of Talpanas have been described (Iwaniuk et al. * Note that Talpanas joins that very annoying list of names where the authorship of the taxon is different from the authorship of the paper : why do people do this? This makes it look as if naming the taxon is the bit that deserves the credit (a criticism previously made by Landry (2005) concerning the naming of the Kipunji Rungwecebus kipunji), not the production of a paper on it. I'll admit that I missed the memo (didn't know about publication until Glyn Young sent me a pdf), even though Chris Taylor at Catalogue of Organisms wrote about Talpanas on its publication. Last year saw the publication of a particularly freakish, recently extinct member of the group that's been known to some of us for a while: the surreal Hawaiian duck Talpanas lippa Olson & James, 2009 from Kauai*. According to Science Alert, the picture actually shows a small sculpture by Serbian fantasy artist Vladimir Matic-Kuriljov.Waterfowl (or wildfowl, or anseriforms, or ducks, geese, swans and kin) are awesome. ![]() Turns out, the baby platypus pic is a hoax. Okay so which of these is a real baby platypus /Tr0rKEGKEW- niels February 17, 2020 As the picture went viral, many social media users googled for more pics of baby platypus - and were struck by the startling discrepancy between the pic and the results that showed up. However, not everything you see on the Internet is true. 6QiFPoM7G3- Beatgrrrl ? February 16, 2020 If a baby platypus doesn't make you smile, you have no soul. XEANd6YY5f- Lotty Earns February 15, 2020 I think a baby platypus is the closest we're going to get to a baby Yoda. Just in case you needed to see a baby platypus today. On Twitter, it has collected millions of 'likes' and 'shares', along with thousands of comments from people swooning over the baby platypus. The picture of one of Australia's most beloved species has delighted many on the Internet. The platypus is a duck-billed mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The picture in question shows the tiny animal sitting snugly inside someone's palm, all small toes and cute smiles. A photo of a baby platypus is currently taking the Internet by storm, with many comparing its cuteness quotient to that of Baby Yoda or magical nifflers from Harry Potter's world of fantastic beasts.
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