Question

Ornithorhynchus is a
A. A fossil bird
B. Duck
C. Monotreme mammal
D. Dinosaur

Answer 1

Hint: This is commonly known as duck-billed platypus. Platy means Flat and Pous means Foot. The body is around 14 inches long and 5 inches tall. The females are slightly shorter than males. It possesses fur and the colour of the body varies from yellow to dark brown. They are generally carnivorous.

Complete answer:
Fossil birds named as Archaeopteryx that belong to the class Aves. A duck named as waterfowl belongs to the class Aves. Monotreme mammals belong to the genus Ornithorhynchus and they are the egg-laying mammals.
There are 3 subclasses into which modern mammals are categorized:
-Prototheria which comprises the egg-laying mammals named as monotremes.
-Metatheria which comprises the pouched mammals named as marsupials.
-Eutheria which comprises the placental mammals.

The monotremes are the simple dwelling order of subclass Prototheria which encompasses the duck-billed platypus (genus Ornithorhynchus) and pointed anteaters and belong to the order Monotremata. The snout is soft, moist and rubbery in texture. Hence, Ornithorhynchus is a Monotreme mammal and semi-aquatic oviparous mammal. Sometimes also called platypus. Dinosaur belongs to the class Reptilia. Largest dinosaurs were around 30 meters long and up to 15 meters tall.

Hence, the correct answer is option (C).

Note: The platypus is widespread in canals of eastern Australia, where it mainly feeds on bottom-dwelling invertebrates but similarly carries a fish, insect or frog at the surface of the water. This animal feeds abundantly energetically from darkness to morning, housing during the day in burrows dug into stream banks.