Wikipedia:Peer review/Platypus/archive1

Platypus

This was formerly a featured article (way back before they were called featured articles) and was downgraded after review. I've almost completely rewritten it, and am intending to renominate it for FA soon. Any comments on omissions and typos would be appreciated, and if anybody can get a decent free photo or illustration for the taxobox then you'll earn my undying gratitude (I had to remove the excellent photo that was there as it appears to be a copyvio). Yomangani^talk 15:00, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

• Comment Excellent article overall. A few comments:

• • In the description section I would prefer to start with the physical description rather than a unique biological adaptation. Also wouldn't the body temperatur info be better placed in ecology and behaviour section, right after the mention that the species is endothermic?
  • "Research suggests this has been a gradual adaptation on the part of the small number of surviving species to harsh environmental conditions rather than a characteristic of monotremes." Which small number of species are we talking about? Could use clarification.
  • "In common with the Tasmanian Devil,[12] the platypus uses the tail for fat storage." Sounds akward.
  • "..rubbery snout that are appear closer to a duck's". Are or appear?
  • "In the platypus, electroreceptors are located..." Is in the platypus redundant? I believe it is obvious we are talking about the receptors in the platypus.
  • "In captivity platypuses have survived to seventeen and wild specimens have been recaptured at eleven years old". Akward. Missaing something after seventeen.
  • "...with mating occurring in late winter or spring." Can you specify which months? If memory serves me correctly winter does not equate to the same months for each hemisphere.
  • "The platypus and other monotremes were very poorly understood for many years, and to this day some of the 19th century myths that grew up around them endure, for example, that the monotremes are "inferior" or quasi-reptilian" Break up, rewrite. One solution is to move "for example, that the monotremes are "inferior" or quasi-reptilian" after 19th century myths.
  • In popular culture has no sources. Joelito (talk) 16:30, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

    Thanks for the comments - all good points and I've rewritten most of them as you suggested. I'm now citing the popular culture items (not sure why I hadn't done that already - I forgot about it after I rewrote it). Yomangani^talk 17:02, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

Are the External links actually References, or should they be separated per WP:LAYOUT? Sandy (Talk) 02:05, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

I always have problems with this when rewriting - as I'm sure the sites listed were used as references for the original article it seems a little unfair to downgrade them. Anyway, I've now moved the websites that are no longer cited directly to "External links". Yomangani^talk 09:22, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

• Please see automated peer review suggestions here. Thanks, AZ _t 20:44, 26 October 2006 (UTC)