Animal Behavior: Wild Things, Life as We Know It
Monkey Talk: Monkeys Combine Words to Communicate
Scientists from the University of St. Andrews have made a groundbreaking discovery: monkeys can string words together to convey more complex messages. In a study of tree-dwelling putty-nosed monkeys in Nigeria, researchers found that the monkeys combined “pyow,” a warning about a threat below, and “hack,” a warning about a threat above, to create a new, urgent message: flee now! This finding suggests that monkeys may have a rudimentary form of language, if their communication is learned rather than innate.
Altruism in Side-Blotched Lizards
Altruism, or selfless behavior, is a puzzling trait in animals, as it often results in a loss of mating opportunities. A new study by researchers at the University of California at Santa Cruz sheds light on how one species, the side-blotched lizard, overcomes this challenge.
The study found that male side-blotched lizards recognize altruism in others and come to the defense of only those that share this trait. This behavior helps altruistic lizards pass along their genes, as they are more likely to survive and reproduce if they have allies who are willing to defend them.
Sea Anemone Stings: Nature’s Fastest Cellular Process
Sea anemones are fascinating creatures with powerful stingers that can paralyze prey in an instant. Researchers in Germany have discovered that the stingers accelerate from zero to 80 miles per hour in just 700 nanoseconds, a million times faster than a race car. This incredible speed makes the sea anemone’s stinger one of the fastest cellular processes in nature.
Aquatic Crabs Adapt to Land
Crabs are typically associated with aquatic environments, but some species have adapted to life on land. One such species is the blackback crab. After molting, aquatic crabs fill up with water to stabilize their new, flimsy shells. However, blackback crabs have evolved a unique adaptation that allows them to fill their shells with air instead. This adaptation may have been instrumental in their transition to a terrestrial lifestyle.
Thyrohyrax: Ancient Predecessor of Hyraxes
Thyrohyrax was an ancient mammal that lived from the Middle East to southern Africa about 30 million years ago. It was originally believed to be a female hyrax due to its long, banana-curved lower jaws. However, researchers at the Duke Lemur Center have reassigned its sexual identity after examining the fossilized dental record.
The researchers concluded that the long lower jaws belonged to male Thyrohyrax, which had larger lower incisors than females. The males’ unusual jawbone also included a hollow chamber on each side, which may have been used to produce sound during courtship. If so, Thyrohyrax would have been the only known mammal with such a specialized vocal apparatus.
Despite its unique adaptations, Thyrohyrax was not a particularly successful species and died out about 30 million years ago. Its descendants do not possess the same jaw or chamber, suggesting that these traits were not advantageous for survival.
