Teens of Bay Area

Did you know that…

1. The Turritopsis dohrnii, nicknamed the “immortal jellyfish,” can revert its cells to an earlier developmental stage through a process known as transdifferentiation when in a stressful environment, thus restarting its life cycle. It could, in theory, live forever unless eaten by predators.
2. There is a parasitic fungus that is known for turning ants into zombies. Ophiocordyceps unilateralis infect ants and take over their behavior. It forces them to climb plants and anchor themselves. The fungus then kills the ant and releases spores from its body to infect other ants.
3. Wombats produce cube-shaped droppings due to the high elasticity of their intestines, which compress waste into fine edges before excretion. This is beneficial for marking their territory, as circular feces could roll away.
4. Koalas are the only non-primate animal with fingerprints. This is because fingerprints give koalas an evolutionary advantage by providing a better grip on trees and leaves.
5. It’s no surprise that chimpanzees and bonobos share 99% of their genome with the human species. But what is surprising is who comes in 2nd and 3rd place: Gorillas and Orangutans, who share 98% and 97% of their genome with humans respectively. But the genealogical relationships may not be what you expect, as gorillas share about 15% more with human genomes than they do with chimpanzees.