Thanks
Me and a coworker were thinking about all this today
Random Animal Facts you think most people here wont know
- Thread starter Marvinb
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Me and a coworker were thinking about all this today
There was a divergent group of hominins called Paranthropus that sported a sagittal crest (for strong chewing muscles) and massive molars and were thought to eat mostly grasses and roots rather than fruits, nuts, or meat. Their fossils were first discovered in South Africa (Paranthropus robustus) but two other species have been discovered in East Africa as well. We're not quite sure why they went extinct - it's assumed they were specialised feeders, and that climate change killed them off, but we aren't certain. What's fascinating about it is that had their evolution continued, there might have been a continued "missing link" population in existence, something extremely close to human, closer than chimpanzees or other apes, but still less human than Homo sapiens or Homo neanderthalensis.
I find these sorts of species particularly interesting from a societal point of view - if such a creature existed in the modern days, would it be kept in zoos, or would it be deemed "too human"? Where would the line be drawn? It's likely this species had more complex tool use than modern great apes, but less complex than humans ended up having. What ethical concerns would there be? Granted, we used to have 'human zoos' to display 'primitive' societies (Amerindian tribes, pygmies from the Congo, island peoples from Indonesia and the Pacific), but something like Paranthropus is different even then.
What is considered 'human'? That's the question that these animals raise, I think.
I find these sorts of species particularly interesting from a societal point of view - if such a creature existed in the modern days, would it be kept in zoos, or would it be deemed "too human"? Where would the line be drawn? It's likely this species had more complex tool use than modern great apes, but less complex than humans ended up having. What ethical concerns would there be? Granted, we used to have 'human zoos' to display 'primitive' societies (Amerindian tribes, pygmies from the Congo, island peoples from Indonesia and the Pacific), but something like Paranthropus is different even then.
What is considered 'human'? That's the question that these animals raise, I think.
Fun additional fact here. Orcas predate humpback whale calfs making these acts of kindness just as likly acts out of spite. Think about it, denying the predators of your children food and potentially driving them away has an evolutionary advantage so these kind acts do actually serve a purpose, regardless if the whales completly understand it or not, which is more about denying the orcas food then actually saving seals. We cant talk to a humpback whale (yet) to get their true feelings on the matter, so as far as we know them saving the other animals out of spite regarding the orcas is just as likly if not even more likly then them just being kind and good hearted colloses.Here is another interesting factoid I’m sure many of you heard. In some places large male humpback whales will go out of their way to save smaller animals from Orcas. Unlike in the bat example above, this is saving and helping something from a different species. These humpback whales are known to go out of their way to stop orca hunts, all they have to do is hear the calls travel through the water. Considering my name is RightWhale I should probably share more whale facts
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While we know cetaceans by and large have a complex emotional spectrum, it's just as likely that they defend from orcas based on pure instinct. It could be that the instinct to protect their calves simply extends to any animal of a similar size/shape. I'm doubtful they would be capable of 'spite'. We do see similar behaviour in other species, too, that are arguably less evolved in terms of emotional capacity (a species of duck protecting baby penguins from attacking skua, for example; presumably they instinctively defend against the skuas rather than protect the penguins, which is probably what it is for the whales, too).
Anthropomorphisation is a double-edged sword.
Min/maxing is the opposite of failure lol. It is kinda cringe tho and sunfish are kinda cringe as an animal so that tracks.
Pics?
It’s not survival of the fittest. It’s survival of whatever works that results a new generation.
Maned wolf got polices investigating a local zoo in South America due to their urine smelling like pure og:kush/ weed
Yeah and min/maxing works a lot of times, its still cringe tho.
That happened in Germany too...its a common problem with them lol
Google?
Baby spoonbills are called teaspoons
Gah I die of cute
Gah I die of cute
Hahaha, that made my day, thanks!Baby spoonbills are called teaspoons
Also I saw a spoonbill this morning near the lake as I walked my dog. They're very unusual sight in my neighborhood!
Oh wow!!! I have been reading about their return to the UK after 400 years of being extinct here. There are some nesting near me in a reserve near Manea and I can't wait to go and see them. Such cool birds. I had no idea they were UK native until recently. You must be in the same neck of the woods eh? East Anglia??Hahaha, that made my day, thanks!
Also I saw a spoonbill this morning near the lake as I walked my dog. They're very unusual sight in my neighborhood!
I
No, I live in The Netherlands
It seems like spoonbills are getting more and more common here. A few years ago I had to travel to a nature reserve to be able to see them, now they apparently fly near my city 
That's great to hear they're also making a return to the UK, hope you have a chance to see them soon
No, I live in The Netherlands
It seems like spoonbills are getting more and more common here. A few years ago I had to travel to a nature reserve to be able to see them, now they apparently fly near my city That's great to hear they're also making a return to the UK, hope you have a chance to see them soon
The pumpkin toadlets of Brazil's Atlantic Rainforest must be among the oddest amphibians currently living. For starters, the males produce a high-pitched mating call even though the females have completely lost the ability to hear them - it is possible that the sound is just a by-product of the fast vibration of the throat sac, which could be the actual courting signal.
When frightened, they wave their arms around and will also open their mouths. They do all these threats despite being incredibly poisonous - so far, so other animal has been recorded eating a pumpkin toadlet.
They are tiny - no more than two centimetres long - which helps them to burrow among leaf litter.
But being small has disadvantages - they are so small that their inner ears do not contain enough fluid to help balance them, so they cannot properly hop. Doing so often just leaves them aimlessly flopping on the ground.
But perhaps the oddest thing about them is that they have bones that glow under ultraviolet light and are visible through the skin - they may help deter predatory birds and spiders, which can both see in ultraviolet light, or help the toads find each other in the dark leaf litter.
When frightened, they wave their arms around and will also open their mouths. They do all these threats despite being incredibly poisonous - so far, so other animal has been recorded eating a pumpkin toadlet.
They are tiny - no more than two centimetres long - which helps them to burrow among leaf litter.
But being small has disadvantages - they are so small that their inner ears do not contain enough fluid to help balance them, so they cannot properly hop. Doing so often just leaves them aimlessly flopping on the ground.
But perhaps the oddest thing about them is that they have bones that glow under ultraviolet light and are visible through the skin - they may help deter predatory birds and spiders, which can both see in ultraviolet light, or help the toads find each other in the dark leaf litter.
I heard about these a while ago, they are really funny and probably one of the most hilarious animals to exist.
Oh lovely, for some reason I thought you were UK based, no idea where I got that idea from haha! We both live in very damp places thenI
No, I live in The Netherlands
That's great to hear they're also making a return to the UK, hope you have a chance to see them soon
How lovely that they're doing so well there. It's very exciting that they're returning to the UK. A breeding pair was reintroduced to Norfolk a few years ago and they seem to now be spreading out and establishing their own colonies. I hope to see them soon 
Not sure if anyone shared this yet. Platypus are not the only mammel that glow under UV, in fact all sorts of mammels can
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