Thread: Platypus..........

Originally Posted by isuzurover

Not true. Both platypus and platypuses are correct. platypi is incorrect.

platypuses seems to the most widely used plural.

DPIW - Platypus: Introduction to an Iconic Mammal

and from w-pedia


UncleHo - was the smart kid right after all?

This is true.......but........as some of us are older, platypi was considered correct in bygone days, but not now. Many things change over the years, not least the English language.

A couple of years ago I was travelling from Armidale down to the coast via some back roads & camped overnight by a river. In the evening I saw several Platypus swimming around in a large pool. The next morning I put my kayak in to do some fishing & over a couple of hours I had several Platypus come up within a few metres of me, check me out & then swim off.
I have also seen them while fishing on the Woollondilly & Fish rivers

This is a photo of my Mum aged 14, taken somewhere near Albury 1948. It is a wild Platypus that would let her pick it up.

For anyone in Vic that wants to see a platapus go to lake Elizabeth

Lake Elizabeth - Scenic attractions - The Great Ocean Road, Victoria, Australia

They also run tours there(i am not affiliated with them just know of them) I have not done a tour but have been told it is well worth it.

Paddle with the Platypus: Photos

Cheers Brett

Originally Posted by numpty

This is true.......but........as some of us are older, platypi was considered correct in bygone days, but not now. Many things change over the years, not least the English language.

and there are many dramatic changes to English that I am aware of, but will not go into these on this interesting thread.

It is Platypus singular or plural.
The derivation is from Latin and it is this that stops it being pi. It was ignorance that taught you incorrectly and it is not a change in times.

Cheers

Originally Posted by JLo

It is Platypus singular or plural.

As I posted on the previous page - There is no universally agreed plural

Platypus, platypuses and possibly platypode are all correct and acceptable - despite what you may think.

e.g. if we look in the scientific literature, I can find 63 journal articles from 1983-2010 which use Platypuses in the title or abstract.

63. Title: A SEASONAL STUDY OF BODY CONDITION AND WATER TURNOVER IN A FREE-LIVING POPULATION OF PLATYPUSES, ORNITHORHYNCHUS-ANATINUS (MONOTREMATA)
Author(s): HULBERT, AJ; GRANT, TR
Source: AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Pages: 109-116 Published: 1983
Times Cited: 14

3. Title: High levels of genetic divergence between Tasmanian and Victorian platypuses, Ornithorhynchus anatinus, as revealed by microsatellite loci
Author(s): Furlan, E; Umina, PA; Mitrovski, PJ, et al.
Source: CONSERVATION GENETICS Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Pages: 319-323 Published: 2010
Times Cited: 0

Platypi and platypode both return no results. Platypus returns 700 papers from 1983-on. However it is possible that some of these papers simply do not use platypuses in the title or abstract, however use it in the main text.

So therefore we can conclude that somewhere between 10 and 100% of platypus researchers consider platypuses to be the correct plural - as do many parks and wildlife type publications.

As we have established - many schools incorrectly taught "platypi" as a bastardised latin form....

honestly guys, the correct spelling (or not) of the plural form is quite irrelevant - we should be talking about the amazing creatures themselves as they are truely incredible - venomous egg laying mammals - what a weird, weird, weird example of the animal kingdom!!