We want to tell you about animals that you may have never heard of before, but which certainly deserve design awards for their art and technology.
Shimmering Sea Jewels
Have you ever heard of sea sapphires? Watch the video on Deepseasnews and you will be amazed!
Rebecca Helm calls these little planktonic animals "the most beautiful animals you've ever seen." Who could have thought that such small creatures could be so beautiful:
Promotional video:
Helm found them on the coast of South Africa, Rhode Island and California. Males produce beautiful flashes of blue. When they gather in groups, the sea sparkles like a deposit of precious stones. How do they do it? Micrographs show that the skin of these creatures consists of several thin layers of hexagonal plates arranged in the form of honeycombs.
This is another example of "structural color" (photonic crystals) - when the color is not formed by pigments, but by geometry. These colors can be found in many animals, including birds, butterflies, beetles, and now marine plankton.
The detachment of the plates is commensurate with the wavelength of blue light, approximately one forty-thousandth of a millimeter. Light hitting these tissues enhances blue reflections and dampens other waves. As a result, we see short flashes of bright blue, separated by intervals in which these translucent creatures disappear. Helm isn't sure why the sapphirines are using this property: to attract females while sitting on jellyfish, or to compete with each other, fighting like knights in shiny armor while the females watch them?
Helm talks about other species that are also capable of glowing in different colors, from light golden to dark blue. Her article begins with a photograph of multi-colored creatures that should surely be rewarded for their skillful use of colors. This is another example of "structural color" (photonic crystals) - when the color is not formed by pigments, but by geometry. These colors can be found in many animals, including birds, butterflies, beetles, and now marine plankton.
Acoustics of seals
How can you not like the look of a mustachioed cross-eyed seal looking straight into the camera? (see Science Magazine) There are amazing ears on the sides of the seal's slippery head. We've all swam at some point and we know that we hear much better above water than under water. It's all about different acoustic environments. Underwater, we hear sounds as if they are compressed at the height of our ears. But the spotted seal has no problems with this - it hears well both above and under water. Underwater and on land, a seal's ear can span all eight octaves. By comparison, cats hear about four octaves. Perhaps the engineers will be interested in this and want to know what the secret of the seals is, and create innovative technologies for location.
Warm body of tuna
Have you ever heard of warm blooded fish? National Geographic reveals that marlin and tuna are able to transfer heat from muscles to the eyes and brain through a process called shake-free thermogenesis. Indeed, even a few hours after the fish has been caught, you can feel with your finger that the area around its eyes is warm. "Thanks to its warming organ, marlin can move quickly from a warm, sunny surface to a deep, cold space, effectively warming the eyes and brain."
Barbara Blok, an expert on the subject, writes in the article: "For tuna, everything works even better: their countercurrent exchange system warms the whole body."
Rainbow frogs
The Manu National Park is located in the interior of Peru. The road here, though long, is worth it to visit. According to Live Science, the park teems with a huge variety of reptiles and amphibians. Researchers exploring this inaccessible area have found a record 287 species of snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs and salamanders here. Moreover, the park is home to 1000 species of birds and over 1200 species of butterflies. In the video, you can see striped frogs painted in rainbow colors.
One of the smallest amphibians in the world, the dwarf frog can fit on a fingertip. Despite its size, it has all the organs, limbs and other anatomical structures of large frogs.
Anyone who loves God must also love His creation. God's command to care for His creation has never been revoked. His people should strive to fulfill their destiny with enthusiasm, joy and awe. None of the articles described say a word about evolution (except once in an article on tuna in National Geographic). This means that Darwinism is not needed for true practical biology. Even better is to look at animals through the eyes of the Creator! Let's introduce children to a science full of adventure and discovery. Let it become to them like a treasury, which was entrusted to them and asked to guard. It's much more fun than video games!
