Prototherian (Noun)
Meaning
Primitive oviparous mammals found only in Australia and Tasmania and New Guinea.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- Certain fossil records suggest the presence of prototherian mammals on other continents in the distant past, however their modern habitats are limited to Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea.
- Prototherian mammals are believed to have evolved separately from the therian mammals that are found on other continents around the world.
- Due to their unique egg-laying abilities, prototherian mammals can be classified as one of the most distinct evolutionary branches of mammals.
- Echidnas and platypuses are the only remaining examples of prototherian mammals, with both having specific adaptations to their environment.
- Some mammals, like the extinct Ornithorhynchus anatinus taeniatus, belong to the prototherian group that lays eggs as part of their reproductive cycle.