In Depth
Kollikodon shares four things with another monotreme called Steropodon. One is that they were both related to the modern day platypus. Two is that they are both known from the same fossil formation. Three is that both of these genera have been described only from partial jaw bones. Four is that both of these jaws have been opalised (Turned to opal, a process that is not that uncommon for Australian fossils). The similarities are so great it would be tempting to think that they could be the same creature, but study of the teeth and their form has confirmed that they are indeed two separate genera. The teeth of Kollikodon are seen as being particularly well adapted for crushing shellfish, something that hints at a durophagous diet.
Further Reading
Further reading- A new family of monotremes from the Cretaceous of Australia. – Nature 377:418-420. -T. F. Flannery, M. Archer, T. H. Rich & R. Jones – 1995.- The upper dentition and relationships of the enigmatic Australian Cretaceous mammal Kollikodon ritchiei. – Memoirs of Museum Victoria. 74: 97–105.- Rebecca Pian, Michael Archer, Suzanne J. Hand, Robin M.D. Beck & Andrew Cody – 2016.
