monotreme
noun
mono·treme
ˈmä-nə-ˌtrēm 
: any of an order (Monotremata) of egg-laying mammals comprising the platypuses and echidnas
Examples of monotreme in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Their bills even include electroreceptors, allowing our humble monotreme to detect living electrical fields produced by its prey.
—
Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
Eventually, after years of study and intense debate, the platypus was classified as a type of primitive mammal known as a monotreme.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
These trailblazers gave rise to the three mammal lineages that persist today: the egg-laying monotremes; the marsupials, which give birth to feeble young that develop further in a pouch; and the placentals, like Ectoconus and us, which birth larger young.
—Steve Brusatte, Scientific American, 1 June 2022
That includes all mammals except marsupials (like kangaroos and possums) and monotremes (like platypuses and echidnas).
—Sarah Leupen, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2023
With webbed feet, beaver-like tails, duck bills, water-resistant coats and venom-secreting spurs on their hind legs, platypuses might be Australia’s most mysterious and charismatic monotreme, or primitive egg-laying mammals.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Jan. 2020
Their unique spot on the evolutionary tree as one of the only two living representatives of the monotreme order (besides echidnas) could even offer insights into the lifestyles of our long-extinct ancestors.
—Connor Lynch, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2022
But not in the Somalian blind cavefish or placental mammals, which include every mammal aside from five monotreme species (most famously the platypus) and a couple hundred marsupials (kangaroos, koalas, wombats, Tasmanian devils and the like).
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 11 Oct. 2018
Content includes video, images, and questions designed to teach students about mammals, birds, primates, bears, reptiles, monotremes, marsupials and others.
—Tracy Maness, Houston Chronicle, 6 Apr. 2020
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Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
Eventually, after years of study and intense debate, the platypus was classified as a type of primitive mammal known as a monotreme.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
These trailblazers gave rise to the three mammal lineages that persist today: the egg-laying monotremes; the marsupials, which give birth to feeble young that develop further in a pouch; and the placentals, like Ectoconus and us, which birth larger young.
—Steve Brusatte, Scientific American, 1 June 2022
That includes all mammals except marsupials (like kangaroos and possums) and monotremes (like platypuses and echidnas).
—Sarah Leupen, The Conversation, 5 Apr. 2023
With webbed feet, beaver-like tails, duck bills, water-resistant coats and venom-secreting spurs on their hind legs, platypuses might be Australia’s most mysterious and charismatic monotreme, or primitive egg-laying mammals.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Jan. 2020
Their unique spot on the evolutionary tree as one of the only two living representatives of the monotreme order (besides echidnas) could even offer insights into the lifestyles of our long-extinct ancestors.
—Connor Lynch, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2022
But not in the Somalian blind cavefish or placental mammals, which include every mammal aside from five monotreme species (most famously the platypus) and a couple hundred marsupials (kangaroos, koalas, wombats, Tasmanian devils and the like).
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 11 Oct. 2018
Content includes video, images, and questions designed to teach students about mammals, birds, primates, bears, reptiles, monotremes, marsupials and others.
—Tracy Maness, Houston Chronicle, 6 Apr. 2020
See More
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“Monotreme.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/monotreme. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
monotreme
noun
mono·treme
ˈmän-ə-ˌtrēm
: any of an order of egg-laying mammals that include the platypuses and echidnas
Medical Definition
monotreme
noun
mono·treme
ˈmän-ə-ˌtrēm
: any mammal (as a platypus) of the order Monotremata
More from Merriam-Webster on monotreme
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about monotreme
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