Duck Billed Platypus Adaptations and Benefits
Structural Adaptation
A structural adaptation that a Duck-billed Platypus inherits is its coating of fur. The Duck-billed Platypus has a fur coat consisting of two layers with the first layer being short and dense, preventing water from getting into the skin. This is called the under layer. This under layer consists of fine hairs that trap air acting as an insulator in order to keep the platypus warm. This adaptation can be compared with human hair that resides on the skin. Goose bumps naturally start to appear when a human gets cold in which it starts raising the hairs on the surface of the skin in order to trap warm air to keep the body warm. The second layer is longer than the under layer, and gets wet when the platypus enters water, but acts as a seal that waterproofs the platypus’ under layer, and is also quite touch sensitive, assisting in submarine navigation.
Picture: Visible double layer of fur on Duck Billed Platypus Source: http://courses.washington.edu/vertebra/452/photos/mammals/platypus_dorsal.jpg
Benefits of this Structural Adaptation:
The structural adaptation of two layers of fur on the platypus allows the platypus to keep warm during chilly months. It is critical that a platypus stays warm as it is mostly nocturnal and spends majority of its time searching for food in the water. Without this fur, a platypus would be extremely vulnerable towards heated weather and will easily die from stress or overheating. Also, without the second layer on the platypus, it would not provide a protectant for the platypuses under layer, eradicating the purpose of insulation as well as eliminating the use of submarine navigation to accurately catch prey.
The structural adaptation of two layers of fur on the platypus allows the platypus to keep warm during chilly months. It is critical that a platypus stays warm as it is mostly nocturnal and spends majority of its time searching for food in the water. Without this fur, a platypus would be extremely vulnerable towards heated weather and will easily die from stress or overheating. Also, without the second layer on the platypus, it would not provide a protectant for the platypuses under layer, eradicating the purpose of insulation as well as eliminating the use of submarine navigation to accurately catch prey.
Behavioural Adaptation
A behavioural adaptation that a Duck-billed Platypus inherits is its special receptors in its bill. The platypus usually hunts at night and also has poor eyesight when under water; in order to locate its prey, the duck-bill contains special electroreceptor cells that are capable of detecting small changes in electrical fields that is caused by their prey’s movement. It sweeps its bill from left to right two to three times a second through a river bed, and starts to pick up electrical impulses from its prey. The bill is also allows the platypus to hear and breathe whilst searching or diving for prey. The bill is quite flexible allowing the platypus to search through tight spots and shovel into the mud with their bill for food.
Picture 1: Picture of Duck Bill
Source: http://www.life.umd.edu/classroom/bsci338m/Lectures/platybill.jpg
Picture 2: Picture of Duck Bill through X-ray
Source: http://www.uq.edu.au/nuq/jack/slides/jp61.jpg
Picture 3: Picture of pores on a Platypus' Duck Bill
http://www.dawntoduskpublications.com/media/2008/Duckbill.gif
Source: http://www.life.umd.edu/classroom/bsci338m/Lectures/platybill.jpg
Picture 2: Picture of Duck Bill through X-ray
Source: http://www.uq.edu.au/nuq/jack/slides/jp61.jpg
Picture 3: Picture of pores on a Platypus' Duck Bill
http://www.dawntoduskpublications.com/media/2008/Duckbill.gif
Benefits of this behavioural adaptation:
The behavioural adaptation of special receptors in the duck-bill allows the platypus to search for prey easily. Without these electroreceptors, there would be nothing to aid or substitute for the platypus’ poor eyesight and the difficulty of searching for prey would increase. The platypus heavily relies on these receptor cells to help locate food, and if they are not present in the duck-bill, it may result in starvation which will ultimately lead to death if the platypus does not find another way to search for prey efficiently.
The behavioural adaptation of special receptors in the duck-bill allows the platypus to search for prey easily. Without these electroreceptors, there would be nothing to aid or substitute for the platypus’ poor eyesight and the difficulty of searching for prey would increase. The platypus heavily relies on these receptor cells to help locate food, and if they are not present in the duck-bill, it may result in starvation which will ultimately lead to death if the platypus does not find another way to search for prey efficiently.
Physiological Adaptation
A physiological adaptation that a Duck-billed Platypus inherits is that it reduces blood flow to certain parts of the body when exposed to cold weather. By doing this, it keeps all of the vital internal organs intact and research has shown that this adaptation has allowed platypus to gradually adapt to harsh environments around it. Another physiological adaptation is the fat stored in the tail of a platypus. When food levels are scarce, the fat stored in the tail supplies the necessary energy for the platypus for a period of time. The platypus’ kidney also has an adaptation to dispose of water rapidly, as there is no water shortage in a platypus’ habitat. Their kidney also absorbs and retains salt efficiently, compensating for the lack of salt that is available in a fresh water habitat. This salt is used in various ways for the platypus’ body processes.
Benefits of this physiological adaptation:
The physiological adaptation of reducing blood flow to certain parts of the body allows platypuses to stay warm. Without this adaptation, the vital internal organs may be fragile and could put the platypus at risk of death as well as cause the platypus to die of hypothermia because of the dramatic decrease of body temperature. The fat stored in the duck-billed platypus’ tail allows the platypus function on the energy for a short period of time if food is scarce. If this fat was not stored in the tail and food source was scarce, it would put the platypus at risk of starvation or low energy and would not survive throughout winter. Without the several functions of the kidney, a platypus would not be able to absorb and retain salt effectively, ultimately resulting in several body parts being deprived of salt supply therefore causing the platypus to enter a stage of physiological stress.
Benefits of this physiological adaptation:
The physiological adaptation of reducing blood flow to certain parts of the body allows platypuses to stay warm. Without this adaptation, the vital internal organs may be fragile and could put the platypus at risk of death as well as cause the platypus to die of hypothermia because of the dramatic decrease of body temperature. The fat stored in the duck-billed platypus’ tail allows the platypus function on the energy for a short period of time if food is scarce. If this fat was not stored in the tail and food source was scarce, it would put the platypus at risk of starvation or low energy and would not survive throughout winter. Without the several functions of the kidney, a platypus would not be able to absorb and retain salt effectively, ultimately resulting in several body parts being deprived of salt supply therefore causing the platypus to enter a stage of physiological stress.