The Species

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the science world was overwhelmed with strange new findings out of Australia. One particular species was assumed to be a hoax… and even when it was established that the platypus was, in fact, real? It didn’t make these strange creatures make more sense.Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to joindeleteme.com/STRANGE and use promo code STRANGE at checkout!   Hosted by Laurah NortonResearch by Anna Luria and Maura CurrieWritten, Produced and Engineered by Maura CurrieOne Strange Thing: True Paranormal Mysteries explores the archives of the unexplained, blending rigorous historical research with a wry, skeptical wit to investigate true supernatural stories and baffling mysteries that made headlines.This episode was originally released  as Premium Episode 54.Dive into our Episode Mystery Archive — a curated, topic-organized source for documented hauntings, UFO sightings, cryptids, folklore, and bizarre true mysteries. Check it out here! https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/episodes-by-topic-mystery-archive Sources on our website: https://www.onestrangethingpodcast.com/Join us on Patreon for early release and ad-free episodes, exclusive stories, and bonus episodes: https://www.patreon.com/OneStrangeThingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/onestrangethingpod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/One-Strange-Thing-114307627035607Subscribe to our Substack: https://substack.com/@onestrangething  Copyright 2026 The Fall Line Podcast LLC - One Strange Thing PodcastWe work with Amplitude Media Partners (AMP) to power our advertising and grow with the right sponsors. Contact AMP with any ad inquiries; sales@amplitudemediapartners.com.   Works Cited George Shaw, “The Duck-Billed Platypus,” The Naturalist’s Miscellany, 1798.NA, “Scientists Trying to Save…” The Washington Herald, 1928.Abby Ohlheiser, “The platypus is so weird…” the Washington Post, 2015.Natalie Zarrelli, “Why 19th-century naturalists…” Atlas Obscura, 2016.Brian K. Hall, “The paradoxical platypus,” Bioscience, 1999.Willey Ley, “Bring our private files…” Star Tribune, 1948.James MacDonald, “The platypus is even weirder…” JSTOR Daily, 2018.Gilad Bino et al, “The platypus: evolutionary…” Journal of Mammalogy, 2019.Stephen C. George, “When scientists believed the adorable…” Discover Magazine, 2023.NA, “The lying stones of…” Geological Society of London, 2017.Jessica Leigh Hester, “The beautiful complexity of…” Atlas Obscura, 2018.Annetta Black, “Objects of Intrigue: Fiji…” Atlas Obscura, 2013.Douglas Main, “We knew platypuses…” National Geographic, 2020.John Yoon, “What scientists learned from…” the New York Times, 2024.Mindy Weisberger, “Platypuses glow an eerie…” LiveScience, 2020.Lucie Cutting, “Woman spurred by platypus…” ABC, 2023.Platypus   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.