Platypus even weirder than thought, scientists discoverWeird guys: The platypus has found yet another way to stand out in the animal kingdom. Melanin is contained in tiny, specialised structures inside cells called melanosomes, the shape of which is linked to their colour. Platypus melanosomes were mostly spherical — which should give it reddish-orange fur. “To the best of our knowledge, this is the only example of hollow melanosomes in mammals,” Dobson said. The ancestors of the platypus and echidna are thought to have been aquatic burrowing animals, so their hollow melanosomes could have helped them adapt to life in the water, giving them warmer insulation.

Source: Bangkok Post March 19, 2026 04:42 UTC