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Platypus: The Extraordinary Story of How a Curious Creature Baffled the World
When the first platypus specimen reached England from Australia in 1799, the scientific community claimed that it was a hoax. On closer investigation, dubious European naturalists eventually declared it to be real, though in an age obsessed with classification, the category-defying platypus sparked heated debates across Europe for a century. In Platypus , Ann Moyal provides a unique biography of one of the world's most famously strange creatures and tells the incredible story of how it became the focus of the great scientific debates of the nineteenth century. Eloquent and concise, Platypus uncovers the earliest theories and latest discoveries about this delightfully odd member of the animal kingdom.
248 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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667 people want to read
About the author
Ann Moyal
14 books5 followersAnn Moyal was an Australian historian known for her work in the history of science.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 3, 2020
Newly arrived colonists to Australia called it a 'duck-bill mole'. Europeans believed it was a hoax created by the southern continent's criminal emigrants. In the effort to finalize whether it was a true mammal or laid eggs like birds, the puzzling animal was almost wiped out by hunters and scientists.
This book specifically traces the effect the discovery of the Platypus had upon scientists in old world Europe. Although there is basic history and physical description, this is much more of a human story as author Ann Moyal reviews the efforts of each successive naturalist to explain this strange creature and their efforts to find out if the Platypus laid actual eggs.
In the wild, the Platypus is a solitary animal and hard to find as it prefers to stay away from human activity. Its bill is used to detect electric fields in order to catch prey. During WWII, Churchill requested a live Platypus for the London zoo, so the Aussies carefully created a special living environment on board a ship. Alas, a German U-Boat tried to sink the ship (it didn't succeed), but the vibration of the depth charges used by the Allies killed the Platypus because its sensitive bill couldn't withstand the accelerated electric fields. Interesting.
Also, the Platypus has a spur on its hind limb which is venomous. Enough to kill a dog and to make a scratch on a human very painful indeed. Given this extraordinary creature and the way it puzzled the world, one would expect a much more exhilarating narrative. Instead, the story is laid out very scholarly, and I only became enthralled during the last chapter. Very educational, though.
Book Season = Summer (up is down)
This book specifically traces the effect the discovery of the Platypus had upon scientists in old world Europe. Although there is basic history and physical description, this is much more of a human story as author Ann Moyal reviews the efforts of each successive naturalist to explain this strange creature and their efforts to find out if the Platypus laid actual eggs.
In the wild, the Platypus is a solitary animal and hard to find as it prefers to stay away from human activity. Its bill is used to detect electric fields in order to catch prey. During WWII, Churchill requested a live Platypus for the London zoo, so the Aussies carefully created a special living environment on board a ship. Alas, a German U-Boat tried to sink the ship (it didn't succeed), but the vibration of the depth charges used by the Allies killed the Platypus because its sensitive bill couldn't withstand the accelerated electric fields. Interesting.
Also, the Platypus has a spur on its hind limb which is venomous. Enough to kill a dog and to make a scratch on a human very painful indeed. Given this extraordinary creature and the way it puzzled the world, one would expect a much more exhilarating narrative. Instead, the story is laid out very scholarly, and I only became enthralled during the last chapter. Very educational, though.
Book Season = Summer (up is down)
July 6, 2016
Look, a lot of these poor reviews pick on the fact that this story has too much of a human element. Read the subtitle before you read this. It is not a biological exploration into the platypus: I've read dozens of nonfiction scientific books, and almost all of them have subtitles. There's a reason for that: to give the potential reader an insight into the truth of the book. This is about HOW the platypus baffled scientists. It's not about the platypus as an entity, though that is brought up and touched upon. Frankly, I think this book was good. Some readers disliked the prose, and that's fine, but I enjoyed it. Since I peruse such books often, I always read the first page before a purchase; do that with this book, and see if it leaves you interested enough to read more. It may not be your cup of tea. You might enjoy it the same way I did. The fact is, animals and naturalists go hand in hand. You can't learn about the characteristics of an animal without the information provided by naturalists. Overlap is going to happen. Give it a whirl and see what you think, keeping in mind that this discusses HOW the platypus was baffling, not platypuses in general. (Wouldn't platypi be much more fun to say?)
August 14, 2016
OK, I think I know as much as I'll even want to know about platypuses. In general the material is very interesting, although narrated in a quite dry way. I would also have enjoyed less emphasys on the history of every single scientist that has researched the animal, and more on the animal itself.
March 14, 2025
Interesting but not what I thought it would be
September 21, 2011
Who do we get to blame for the one-word historical monograph? Didn't Kurlansky write the book about Cod or some such? The problem with these books is that the author needs to find something singular enough to be a subject in its own right, yet significant enough to merit a reader's time. The platypus, as presented by Ann Moyal, apparently doesn't cut it. The book is less about the beast and more about the history of its categorization by increasingly well-informed biologists and amateurs. The move allows Moyal to slot the animal into a discussion of the debates about evolution and Darwin, among other things. Lucky thing too. The final chapter gives us a rough summary of what is known about the still mysterious animal, and by that account, it isn't worth a book on its own--at least for general readers. Moyal's prose is not the best either, to be honest. There are a handful of cliches, misapplied metaphors and, increasingly, a resort to exclamation points as the narrative moves along. It is informative, but at the cost of ginning up mystery and suspense in a story that is basically the narrative of misunderstandings rectified by trial and error and the shooting and pickling and dissecting of thousands of the poor beasties.
November 16, 2013
I like platypuses. They are awesome because they seem to be everything and nothing. This book traces the discovery of the platypus as well as the determination and backstabbing that went into the scientific research into the animal. This apparently was done by killing a great many. Silly human buggars.
The book is engaging and well written. It includes a look at the science of the time as well as the interest in the platypus. The animal is apparently much smarter than people give it credit for.
(Crossposted at Booklikes
The book is engaging and well written. It includes a look at the science of the time as well as the interest in the platypus. The animal is apparently much smarter than people give it credit for.
(Crossposted at Booklikes
September 3, 2022
Interesting. Read this because it was at my library and we are going to see them at the Safari Park on our next vacation.
So interesting because these are the only two on display outside of Australia. Very interesting how hard it was for them to learn how to keep them alive and care for them. So sad how many died while people were trying to learn anything about them.
#JennyGuyColeman
So interesting because these are the only two on display outside of Australia. Very interesting how hard it was for them to learn how to keep them alive and care for them. So sad how many died while people were trying to learn anything about them.
#JennyGuyColeman
March 12, 2016
"The Extraordinary Story of How a Curious Creature Baffled the World" The Australian author shows great affection for this skittish, shy mammal who has fur, lays eggs, nurses its young and has a bill like a duck. Darwin figured it out.
March 12, 2024
This book is a very quaint and interesting story about the discovery of the platypus and the subsequent puzzlement of the early 19th-21st century biologists.
June 15, 2024
This made me so happy! It increased my love for the platypus, a truly incredible animal.
It was also so great to laugh at these scientists from so long ago that they were absolutely clueless, obviously they couldn’t have known better back then but still. It also shows how science was dominated by white European men with no regard for any other species or local people which obviously put them back so much, but no surprise there.
But honestly this was such an enjoyable and informative read which leads to many fun facts that I can throw around now.
And you won’t believe this but I was actually able to answer a question on a quiz because of reading this book, an amazing coincidence that absolutely made my day
It was also so great to laugh at these scientists from so long ago that they were absolutely clueless, obviously they couldn’t have known better back then but still. It also shows how science was dominated by white European men with no regard for any other species or local people which obviously put them back so much, but no surprise there.
But honestly this was such an enjoyable and informative read which leads to many fun facts that I can throw around now.
And you won’t believe this but I was actually able to answer a question on a quiz because of reading this book, an amazing coincidence that absolutely made my day
November 2, 2017
Ms. Moyal made what should have been a fascinating history of discovery DRAG in TRUE high-school history teacher style! Most BORING platypus information ever laid out. Unfortunately, I DID learn new things despite her decision to write in a style guaranteed to induce coma, so I have no choice but to give her three stars for that.
July 25, 2020
Platypus is a popular account of the discovery of the Platypus by European science in 1798 (it was of course well-known to the aboriginal population) and the controversies it caused among scientists. Moyal explains how biologists were confused by the combination of mammalian traits such as fur and a four-chambered heart with a bill that they thought was birdlike (actually this was an artifact due to the hardening of the "bill" in prepared specimens; the actual organ in the living animal is very flexible and cartiliginous) and a reproductive apparatus similar to reptiles (the uterus, bladder and anus end in a common orifice, the cloaca, which accounts for the term "monotreme" meaning "single orifice" now used for the order Monotremata). At first they were unsure where it fit in the "chain of being", whether to consider it as a reptile, bird or mammal, or as a separate class of its own (together with the echidna, which has a similar combination of features.) Later, there was a controversy when the mammary glands were discovered over whether they were actually milk-producing for suckling the young or for some other purpose, since there is no actual teat or nipple. There was also controversy over whether it was viviparous (bringing forth live young) like mammals, oviparous (egg-laying) like most reptiles and all birds, or oviviviparous (hatching the egg internally) like some reptiles.
Much of the problem in solving these questions, according to Moyal (who is Australian) was the contempt of British and European scientists for the amateur Australian naturalists who were actually producing factual descriptions, but were diffident about theory, leaving that to the mother country (not to mention for the aboriginal population who knew the truth that the platypus laid eggs but were considered "unreliable" witnesses.)
There is much about the role of Richard Owens, who became the expert on the monotremata and marsupials in the middle of the nineteenth century; Moyal describes him as an expert on reconstructing extinct species from fragmentary fossils (he was called the British Cuvier) but out of his depth in theory, and a rigid Anglican who was part of the establishment. She describes him in his later life as arrogant, and as the most hated scientist in England, with a habit of taking credit for other researchers' discoveries. This is corroborated by the descriptions I have read of him in other books on the history of biology; I have a biography of him on my TBR list, which I hope to get to next year after I retire. Owens denied as long as possible that the mammary glands were real and argued for oviviviparity. (Many of those who considered it a mammal insisted it must be viviparous, but Owen knew that could not be the case given the primitiveness of the uterus; but he could not accept that it was actually oviparous, which was mainly the view of those who considered it a reptile or bird.)
Moyal also shows the role the platypus played in Darwin's thinking about evolution and the debates over the theory. Darwin described Owen as the one opponent he actively disliked. Lyell, whom Darwin respected highly and was particularly concerned to convince, initially opposed his theory as "progressive", i.e. as claiming that there was a progression from lower to higher forms, as was the case with Lamarck and other previous evolutionists, and used the platypus as a counterexample; Darwin wrote back that his theory did not assume a necessary "progress" from less to more complex, but only that species became more fit for their environments, which could involve becoming less as well as more complex.
Nevertheless, after professional (and Darwinian) scientists proved by field studies that the platypus in fact laid eggs, the monotremata were considered as a link in the development from reptiles through marsupials to placental mammals (correct) which had simply not evolved further (not correct). In the 1980s it was discovered that the platypus had a system of electrolocation unique in the animal kingdom (some fishes have electric organs but they work in an entirely different way) which shows that the platypus had a long evolution, which simply went in a different direction than other mammals.
I was expecting to read that like so many unique animals the platypus was endangered, but that is apparently not the case; they still thrive in their native habitat and are a protected species throughout, although pollution of rivers creates a certain danger.
Much of the problem in solving these questions, according to Moyal (who is Australian) was the contempt of British and European scientists for the amateur Australian naturalists who were actually producing factual descriptions, but were diffident about theory, leaving that to the mother country (not to mention for the aboriginal population who knew the truth that the platypus laid eggs but were considered "unreliable" witnesses.)
There is much about the role of Richard Owens, who became the expert on the monotremata and marsupials in the middle of the nineteenth century; Moyal describes him as an expert on reconstructing extinct species from fragmentary fossils (he was called the British Cuvier) but out of his depth in theory, and a rigid Anglican who was part of the establishment. She describes him in his later life as arrogant, and as the most hated scientist in England, with a habit of taking credit for other researchers' discoveries. This is corroborated by the descriptions I have read of him in other books on the history of biology; I have a biography of him on my TBR list, which I hope to get to next year after I retire. Owens denied as long as possible that the mammary glands were real and argued for oviviviparity. (Many of those who considered it a mammal insisted it must be viviparous, but Owen knew that could not be the case given the primitiveness of the uterus; but he could not accept that it was actually oviparous, which was mainly the view of those who considered it a reptile or bird.)
Moyal also shows the role the platypus played in Darwin's thinking about evolution and the debates over the theory. Darwin described Owen as the one opponent he actively disliked. Lyell, whom Darwin respected highly and was particularly concerned to convince, initially opposed his theory as "progressive", i.e. as claiming that there was a progression from lower to higher forms, as was the case with Lamarck and other previous evolutionists, and used the platypus as a counterexample; Darwin wrote back that his theory did not assume a necessary "progress" from less to more complex, but only that species became more fit for their environments, which could involve becoming less as well as more complex.
Nevertheless, after professional (and Darwinian) scientists proved by field studies that the platypus in fact laid eggs, the monotremata were considered as a link in the development from reptiles through marsupials to placental mammals (correct) which had simply not evolved further (not correct). In the 1980s it was discovered that the platypus had a system of electrolocation unique in the animal kingdom (some fishes have electric organs but they work in an entirely different way) which shows that the platypus had a long evolution, which simply went in a different direction than other mammals.
I was expecting to read that like so many unique animals the platypus was endangered, but that is apparently not the case; they still thrive in their native habitat and are a protected species throughout, although pollution of rivers creates a certain danger.
February 21, 2025
I was initially very keen to read this book, as I am fascinated by the platypus, however sadly I found this book very hard going. While it was interesting to learn about how the British and French scientists of the 17 and 1800s struggled to understand the platypus' place in the hierarchy of creatures, the majority of the book was taken up with the intricacies of taxonomic systems, which to a non-scientist was a bit dry.
Several chapters were devoted to the debate around whether the platypus laid eggs, or gave birth in a way similar to that of other mammals. Undoubtedly this is of significant scientific value, however was over discussed and is likely to be off putting for a non-zoologist reader.
The book came to life in the final few chapters, when discussing the Aboriginal stories about the platypus, Winston Churchill's obsession with the animal and work by early 2oth century scientists to fully understand how the platypus lived. Unfortunately these engaging chapters felt like an afterthought and I suspect many readers may not have made their way this far into the book!
Several chapters were devoted to the debate around whether the platypus laid eggs, or gave birth in a way similar to that of other mammals. Undoubtedly this is of significant scientific value, however was over discussed and is likely to be off putting for a non-zoologist reader.
The book came to life in the final few chapters, when discussing the Aboriginal stories about the platypus, Winston Churchill's obsession with the animal and work by early 2oth century scientists to fully understand how the platypus lived. Unfortunately these engaging chapters felt like an afterthought and I suspect many readers may not have made their way this far into the book!
June 23, 2019
I had no idea that the platypus was such an important animal to our understanding of the natural world, but this became abundantly clear while reading this well researched and wryly humorous book. Still, some parts were slow going for me, and I finally figured out that this had to do with the regional and generational differences in language usage. I kept at it, though, and I’m glad I did, given the fascinating inner world of this remarkable creature.
May 20, 2021
This was an interesting take on the history of discovering the elusive Platypus, learning more about how it has evolved and what kind of connections it has to the already known animal kingdom.
Overall, I enjoyed this book though there were some aspects that seemed to drag on when it came to the scientific aspects but that's more of a personal view and could very well be something that others may love about this book.
Looking forward to learning more about the Platypus in the future!
Overall, I enjoyed this book though there were some aspects that seemed to drag on when it came to the scientific aspects but that's more of a personal view and could very well be something that others may love about this book.
Looking forward to learning more about the Platypus in the future!
April 12, 2021
As other reviewers have noted, this really isn't as much about platypuses themselves as it is about the human struggle to identify, classify, and learn about that. I'm glad I knew that ahead of time, because I feel like the title could apply to either type of book. That being said the writing was a little on the dry side.
December 5, 2021
Really a story of the evolution of biology from the 18th century through the 21st as it relates to the curious discovery and ongoing confusions about the platypus. The organization feels a little rough and I didn't love the writing, but the story is fascinating.
May 4, 2023
Disappointed in this book as while it is full of interesting facts about one of the weirdest animals around, it never really felt like it settled into anything more than an extended Wikipedia page. Definitely interesting throughout but something wasn't quite right.
August 13, 2019
It would have been nice if there was more info about the platypus itself. This was more or less a list of which wealthy white men were killing tons of platypuses arguing about what a platypus is.
August 25, 2019
It's an interesting book. It is a review of the discovery and classification of the platypus, and a review of the changes in scientific views over a few centuries.
May 16, 2020
Not a history oof the platypus or informative about the animal as I assumed.
January 15, 2024
So much of science back in the day was just going out into the woods and shooting shit
February 5, 2025
A solidly researched, but unexciting and repetitive, book on how you can murder thousands of specimens to find out how they breed. We are such a strange species.
October 31, 2011
I picked this book up at the gift shop when exiting the American Museum of Natural History's Extreme Mammals exhibit. It is a history of science monograph of the discovery and increased understanding of the platypus, published by a University Press and without any of the flash and pretense you might find in some books of this type (e.g., something with a title like "The Platypus: The Discovery of the Animal that Changed the Western World and the Face of Science Forever.")
The story itself is more than good enough not to need any of the flash. In brief, Westerners discovered the platypus in 1798. It wasn't until nearly a century later that they fully understood and confirmed that it's young hatched from eggs. The length of time was not for lack of interest. Platypuses were a major source of fascination and effort both for the more theoretically inclined naturalists in London and Paris and their more practical counterparts in Australia. Instead, the length of time it took to make this discovery was largely about preconceived notions about taxonomy and pre-Darwinian ideas about species, especially dominated by ideas from Richard Owens (who famously referred to Darwin as the "Devil's Chaplin.") The theory of evolution helped unlock the frozen perception, allowing people to stop looking for pregnant platypuses and to take Aboroginal "legends" more seriously. Also slowing the process was how elusive and finicky the creature itself is.
While telling this story, the book elucidates several aspects in the history of science, the relationship between London science and outer areas like Australia, and ultimately the riddle of the platypus was solved by amateurs giving way to professional scientists.
It took another century to discover that the platypus has literally evolved a sixth sense -- being able to detect electrical impulses, using them to hunt in dark water. A useful reminder that it is not a more "primitive" animal but has evolved just as long as humans have.
The story itself is more than good enough not to need any of the flash. In brief, Westerners discovered the platypus in 1798. It wasn't until nearly a century later that they fully understood and confirmed that it's young hatched from eggs. The length of time was not for lack of interest. Platypuses were a major source of fascination and effort both for the more theoretically inclined naturalists in London and Paris and their more practical counterparts in Australia. Instead, the length of time it took to make this discovery was largely about preconceived notions about taxonomy and pre-Darwinian ideas about species, especially dominated by ideas from Richard Owens (who famously referred to Darwin as the "Devil's Chaplin.") The theory of evolution helped unlock the frozen perception, allowing people to stop looking for pregnant platypuses and to take Aboroginal "legends" more seriously. Also slowing the process was how elusive and finicky the creature itself is.
While telling this story, the book elucidates several aspects in the history of science, the relationship between London science and outer areas like Australia, and ultimately the riddle of the platypus was solved by amateurs giving way to professional scientists.
It took another century to discover that the platypus has literally evolved a sixth sense -- being able to detect electrical impulses, using them to hunt in dark water. A useful reminder that it is not a more "primitive" animal but has evolved just as long as humans have.
August 13, 2010
Moyal's prose can be a little redundant, at least in wording (Australia is ALWAYS "the antipodes," for example; Darwin is always a kindly genius; every chapter rehashes how baffled scientists were and are by the platypus), but overall she is a strong writer.
And of course the subject matter can't be beat. If platypuses weren't such fragile, hungry creatures (feeding them enough shrimp every day costs both arms and both legs, apparently), I'd want to adopt one.
In other news, did you know that Winston Churchill sent British spies to Australia to demand from the famous zoologist Mr. Fleay... a platypus? To be named "Winston," no less.
They actually brought the little guy within four days of London, only to see him die instantly when they depth-charged a suddenly detected u-boat that had been sent to sink the ship. Poor Winston.
(Churchill had him stuffed. He was apparently obsessed with rare animals.)
And of course the subject matter can't be beat. If platypuses weren't such fragile, hungry creatures (feeding them enough shrimp every day costs both arms and both legs, apparently), I'd want to adopt one.
In other news, did you know that Winston Churchill sent British spies to Australia to demand from the famous zoologist Mr. Fleay... a platypus? To be named "Winston," no less.
They actually brought the little guy within four days of London, only to see him die instantly when they depth-charged a suddenly detected u-boat that had been sent to sink the ship. Poor Winston.
(Churchill had him stuffed. He was apparently obsessed with rare animals.)
June 1, 2010
It is the story of platypus/human relations, told in chronological order. While it discusses the main sticking points for fitting the platypus into our categorization (does it lay eggs, do its young suckle), it does this from the perspective of European scientists trying to determine the lifestyle from preserved bodies. It is more a tale of the scientists and their methods at classification than a tale of the platypus. This may have been done because the focus was supposed to be on the scientists, or it may have been to make the story more exciting (which scientific camp is right), but it ruined the story for me. I had a hard time figuring out who was who in the scientific jumble, and without a clear sign of where the tale was going, it was difficult to cull the important points out of the story, and thus it was more difficult to read.
March 3, 2013
The platypus is my absolute favorite animal, and being a biologist, I was excited to read about the detailed history of the animal. Unfortunately, it took about 150 pages before I really started to enjoy this book. Up until that point, the book was INCREDIBLY boring, a historical narrative that went back and forth between myriad of different researchers and their debates on oviparity, phylogeny, etc.
Around page 150, the book began to delve into more specific scientific discoveries about the platypus and monotremes (neural development, egg development, etc.) which contrasted highly with the extremely dry first 3/4 of the book. If the first 3/4 of the book could be condensed in half, I would have given this book a much higher rating.
Around page 150, the book began to delve into more specific scientific discoveries about the platypus and monotremes (neural development, egg development, etc.) which contrasted highly with the extremely dry first 3/4 of the book. If the first 3/4 of the book could be condensed in half, I would have given this book a much higher rating.
October 14, 2011
Did you know the plural of platypus is platipodes not platipi because it comes from the Greek and not the Latin?
Did you know that platipodes are fairly small, the size of a small house cat, and eat their body weight in snails, worms and small crustaceans everyday?
Did you know that the platypus "beak" is actually an elaborate organ that is used to sense the electrical currents in it's prey?
I bet you didn't.
This is an awesome book answering all your platypus related questions (you know you have some).
Did you know that platipodes are fairly small, the size of a small house cat, and eat their body weight in snails, worms and small crustaceans everyday?
Did you know that the platypus "beak" is actually an elaborate organ that is used to sense the electrical currents in it's prey?
I bet you didn't.
This is an awesome book answering all your platypus related questions (you know you have some).
April 16, 2016
While I learned quite a bit about platypus, this book was more illuminating about the development of western science though the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. An interesting read alongside "The Invention of Nature".
I was left with the overwhelming impression of the vast number of platypus that died in the name of science - if only the scientists had listened to the indigenous people instead of dismissing their knowledge, perhaps fewer platypus would have been killed.
I was left with the overwhelming impression of the vast number of platypus that died in the name of science - if only the scientists had listened to the indigenous people instead of dismissing their knowledge, perhaps fewer platypus would have been killed.
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