University achieves first captive echidna birth, offering clues to mammalian evolution

Researchers at Macquarie University in Sydney have successfully bred and reared a short-beaked echidna, a rare feat in captivity. The newborn, called a puggle, was briefly removed from its mother's pouch for weighing, marking a milestone for the research colony. Scientists plan to study the egg's chemistry to compare monotreme and reptile eggshell proteins, potentially illuminating when mammals diverged from reptiles.