The Wonders of Natural Selection
According to Darwin, out of many variations of a species, the environment will select for or against a phenotype, and that phenotype will gradually become prevalent in the population. These are the fundamentals of evolution.
However, throughout the world, there are many outlandish species with strange phenotypes that amaze you. How did nature ever come up with these features?
Below are five species either with interesting structures or absurd looks. See if you can find the reason as to why they evolved to where they are.
WARNING: species 2 and 3 are too bizarre that they might cause discomfort if you stare at the picture for too long.
1.Shoebill
Basic information:
Size: 3.5 to 4.5 feet tall
Life span: up to 35 years
Distribution: freshwater swamps in central tropical Africa
A species of Pelecaniformes that gets its name from its shoe-like bill. Although the bird looks daunting from a picture, once it starts moving and flapping its wings, this huge bird looks like an idiot.
Shoebill’s diet contains mainly fish, which it catches with a “collapsing” technique. They will stand motionlessly in the shallow water and plunge suddenly at their prey with lightning speed. It might feel cool for the bird, but for the observers, the bird looks like it has just fallen into the water. Even if it successfully catches a fish, it has to get rid of the vegetation in its mouth first before swallowing the fish. Having a big bill is not always beneficial.
2. Blobfish
Basic information:
Size: about the length of a comic book
Weight: 1.7 kg (4 lb)
Distribution: the abyssal zone in waters around Australia and New Zealand
In an online election in 2013 the Ugly Animal Preservation Society, the blobfish won the ugliest animal in the world competition and became the society’s mascot. As the origin of many memes, blobfish had made its name with its “life is meaningless” look. However, this is not what a blobfish actually looks like.
We know little about this grumpy species. Only two specimens have been collected so far, one is shown above. Because of the high pressure in deep water, this fish has no air sacs, skeletons, or muscles; it uses water to support its body. Therefore, when a poor blobfish was pulled up in a net from the bottom of the sea, its skin relaxed under the drop of pressure and became a droopy slime.
If you happen to see a blobfish in deep water, it should look pretty much like a fish.
3. Star-nosed Mole
Basic information:
Size: from 175 to 205 mm (6.9 to 8.1 in)
Lifespan: 3 to 4 years
Distribution: northern parts of North America
This mole is blind but the faster eater in the world, taking an average of 227 milliseconds to identify and eat its food. Preferring wet habitats such as swamps and marshes, the star-nosed mole can smell underwater and prey on aquatic insects. Its star-like snout consists of 11 appendages on each side and acts as a touch organ. The 25,000 sensory receptors, known as Eimer’s organs, enable a star-nosed mole to touch 10-12 different places within a second. The nose is impressive and efficient, but seeing it move and touch around is a bit disgusting.
4. Purple Frog
Basic information:
Size: 6-9 cm (2.4-3.5 in)
Weight: 165g (0.36 lb)
Distribution: the Western Ghats, India
Yep, this is a frog. It is also called pig-nosed frog because of its snout. The fat body of a purple frog helps it fight strong currents. Its tadpoles have oral suckers to hold on to rocks in torrential waters. Local tribes eat the purple frog’s tadpoles, use the frog as traditional medicine, and make amulets from the frogs.
The purple frog is a species of burrowing frog: its short, strong limbs are adaptations for digging. Their diet consists mainly of termites, so instead of feeding above the ground like other frogs, the purple frog is able to live underground and only comes to the surface to breed during the monsoon season.
Because of its dependency on the habitat and the harvesting of local communities, the purple frog is listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List. We still know little about this species and there is no estimation of its population size.
5. Blue Glaucus
Basic information:
Size: 3 cm (1.2 in)
Distribution: Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans
Finally, here is some beautiful creature to enjoy. Blue Glaucus is also known as the blue dragon or blue angel. This sea slug’s bright-blue-colored back and grayish-white belly act as camouflages that hide it from predators. The Blue Glaucus is venomous but not by itself. It stores the stinging nematocysts of one of its prey: the Portuguese man o' war (what an interesting name). Thus, when the blue glaucus feels threatened, it can deal a far stronger sting than the siphonophore above.
Another fun fact about blue glaucus is that, like most slugs, it is a hermaphrodite; after mating, both female and male blue glaucus can produce eggs.
An interesting website to look for: https://uglyanimalsoc.com/
Portuguese Man O' War