A new study suggests the platypus and echidna — the only egg-laying mammals — had a water-dwelling ancestor. The finding ...

The platypus and echidna, often regarded as some of the most peculiar animals on Earth, may be hiding a far more complex ...

We may have gotten the evolutionary origins of the echidna backward, as new research suggests its ancestors probably lived in the water, not on land.

University of New South Wales. "'Extremely rare event': bone analysis suggests ancient echidnas lived in water." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 April 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com / releases / 2025 / 04 ...

The new research could upend what’s known of the evolution of the most primitive mammals alive today. Found in Australia and New Guinea, the platypus and echidna are called monotremes ...