"Ancient 'Echidnapus' Fossil Unveils Australia's Monotreme Era"

Australian scientists have discovered a new ancient monotreme species, Opalios splendens, nicknamed "echidnapus" for its resemblance to both the platypus and echidna. Fossilized jaw bones found in New South Wales suggest that Australia once had an "age of monotremes," with these egg-laying mammals being abundant and dominant. The findings, published in Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology, highlight the diversity of prehistoric monotremes in the region.