


Gorillas can catch human colds and other illnesses. Even the scientists don't get it.Īs Martin Nweeia, a member of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, told the Smithsonian, "The whole thing that is great about the teeth of the narwhal is that nothing makes sense … The tusks are an extreme example of dental asymmetry." 8. If you're looking for a concrete explanation as to why things evolved in this way, you'll just have to sit tight. But that's not actually a tusk at all-what you're seeing is a tooth. Narwhals are unlike most other whales because they have what appears to be a giant tusk. Narwhal tusks are really an "inside out" tooth. Because their leg bones are so thin, only two out of the 1,100 species of bats can walk on the ground. In fact, these critters are much more comfortable in the air than on land. It's called the " Grandmother Hypothesis" and it's also thought to help improve the fitness of the aging female in question. According to researchers, this has less to do with wanting to enjoy those golden years than it does with being available to nurture a daughter's offspring and decrease tensions over limited resources. Humpback whales, orcas, and human females are the only mammals that undergo menopause. Not a lot of animals go through menopause. While they're actually touching their front teeth to identify each other when they seem to be sweetly sharing a smooch, the BBC explains that scientists believe prairie dogs " kiss and cuddle" more when they are being watched by zoo visitors," because they "appeared to enjoy the attention." 4. Prairie dogs are quirky creatures for a number of reasons: They're giant rodents, they dig massive interconnected underground homes, and they kiss. Study co-author Auguste von Bayern noted, "African gray parrots were intrinsically motivated to help others, even if the other individual was not their friend, so they behaved very 'prosocially.'" 3.

Instead, researchers have discovered that the colorful birds will "voluntarily help each other obtain food rewards" and perform "selfless" acts, according to a 2020 study published in Current Biology. Parrots may be associated with pirates, but it turns out African gray parrots are nothing like the infamously greedy, treasure-seeking criminals. Parrots will selflessly help each other out. Any koalas who want to commit crimes would be wise to do so wearing gloves. In fact, they're so similar when it comes to the distinctive loops and arches, that in Australia, "police feared that criminal investigations may have been hampered by koala prints," according to Ripley's Believe It or Not. Koalas might not seem to have a lot in common with us, but if you were to take a closer look at their hands, you'd see that they have fingerprints that are strikingly similar to humans. Koala fingerprints are so close to humans that they could taint crime scenes. READ THIS NEXT: 29 Fun Cat Facts You Never Knew About Your Furry Friend.
