Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: DoctorBeaver on 07/08/2007 19:46:11

Title: Longest tongue relative to body length
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 07/08/2007 19:46:11

From http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/12/061206-tongue-photo.html (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/12/061206-tongue-photo.html)

Anoura fistulata has the longest tongue, relative to body length, of any mammal — and now scientists think they know why.

"This bat was just discovered last year, and now we've observed a very unique relationship with a local flower," said Nathan Muchhala, a University of Miami Ph.D. student whose team's findings are to be published tomorrow in the journal Nature.

Found in an Andean cloud forest in Ecuador, A. fistulata (aka the tube-lipped nectar bat) evolved mutually with an extremely long, bell-shaped flower, the team says. In fact, armed with a tongue that retracts into the bat's rib cage, A. fistulata is now the only animal that can pollinate the flower.

—Ted Chamberlain

And here is the beastie concerned...

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi148.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fs26%2FDoctorBeaver%2Fbat.jpg&hash=a3909e3890622b5c561ef1cffbfb6357)

Title: Longest tongue relative to body length
Post by: paul.fr on 07/08/2007 23:40:45

Sorry Doc, but my ex had the longest and sharpest tongue relative to anything or anyone.

Title: Longest tongue relative to body length
Post by: DoctorBeaver on 08/08/2007 00:48:28

Quote from: paul.fr on 07/08/2007 23:40:45

Sorry Doc, but my ex had the longest and sharpest tongue relative to anything or anyone.

 [:D]