Weird organisms

[deezelboy]

Came across Luidia sarsi today, which is one of the weirdest organisms I've ever heard of. L. sarsi's a starfish.  Like other starfish, it starts its life as a fertilised egg which then develops into a larva with a small radial juvenile inside.  As it grows, the juvenile then moves to the outside of the larva.  Normally what would then happen is that the larva would then settle and degenerate, leaving the juvenile to crawl away.  But not L. sarsi!  With this strange bugger, the juvenile drops off and pursues its life as a starfish, but instead of being cast away like a sloughed skin, the larva then swims off.  And it lives for months.  L. sarsi's one organism that has two seperate and independent bodies, which is distinctly weird. The picture on the left shows L. sarsi in the process of seperating - the larva at the top and the juvenile at the bottom.

[Neltharion]

I just have to do this.


Homo Sapiens:



The only species that walks fully erect of the Primate family! This species of primates is almost bald over its entire body. Save for the head and pubic areas (and facial areas of the Males). They are highly intelligent as a species but a fair few of them are actually not very. They are one of 3 species on the planet that uses sexual intercourse not just as a way to reproduce but as a way of bonding between the males and the females (it also happens between couples of the same gender.

Homo Sapiens are one of the rare animals that have the ability to learn, teach and instruct. They are a part of a very rare area of the animal kingdom that has the ability to create tools for a myriad of things. They also are the only species that has documented (aside from Chimps) killing for fun. They hunt in packs of thousands and face each other in combat seeing who can kill the most.

They are also the only ones to use Fire, not only to keep warm, but to heat up their food in order to make digestion easier. They are among the few animals that build their own shelters each night.

Trully, Homo Sapiens are one of the weirdest creatures out there.



Now don't tell me this is not true, we are weird.

[Sebastian]

Women!



What was that thing called that survived solely on.. nothing? I think it was Deez who made that thread some time back, some kind of mico-organism that lived deep beneath the earth.

[deezelboy]

Candidatus Desulforudis audaxviator?

[Darwinsgirl]

About a year ago my neice (knowing I'm a fan of Alien) sent me a link to a video of the Goblin Shark.  Its jaws extend out to bite its prey.

The original video has been removed due to copyright...this is a much smaller clip of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjRSlnJ1rA4

[Dutch90]

Humans actually have more hair than chimpanzees, it's just thinner and of a lighter color. As for them being the only bipedal primates, they're actually the only bipedal species in the whole mammalian class, too. Even kangaroos move on all fours when they're not hopping.

[Neltharion]

Shut up.

[SiL]

They are one of 3 species on the planet that uses sexual intercourse not just as a way to reproduce but as a way of bonding between the males and the females (it also happens between couples of the same gender.

I can think of at least four, including humans - Humans, bonobo chimps, dolphins, and penguins.

Homo Sapiens are one of the rare animals that have the ability to learn, teach and instruct.

How are defining rare?

They also are the only species that has documented (aside from Chimps) killing for fun.

And dolphins. Actually dolphins have been documented killing baby porpoises, or other dolphins, and using the body as a toy.

Now don't tell me this is not true, we are weird.

Yes, but more in the sense of being an amalgam of other animal traits, rather than anything wildly different. Even ants wage war, for example.

[Neltharion]

Stop taking the fun out of everything SiL.

[SiL]

Not everything; just you.

...We don't have a creepy stare emoticon. I feel sorely disappointed.

[Sebastian]

Will have to suffice!

Candidatus Desulforudis audaxviator?

That's it!

About a year ago my neice (knowing I'm a fan of Alien) sent me a link to a video of the Goblin Shark.  Its jaws extend out to bite its prey.

The original video has been removed due to copyright...this is a much smaller clip of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjRSlnJ1rA4

Awesome!

[SiL]

When I make a killer shark movie, it will have a mutated goblin shark in it. Holy damn that's creepy.

[beckmen]

http://webecoist.com/2009/02/03/the-9-strangest-animals-on-earth/

Interesting article. Though, there are tons of similar articles online. One could spend hours perusing this kind of stuff, and one has.

Damn, this article is even more interesting: http://webecoist.com/2008/11/04/9-of-the-most-bizarre-animal-defense-mechanisms/

[Sebastian]

The sea cucumber can literally take on different body states – from hard to liquid – in order to defend itself.

Me jealous.

[Neltharion]

Is it my imagination or did I read something about sea cucumbers and viagra....

Not in that article, just a random article.