Wild Things: Life as We Know It
Orchids, Baboons, Ancient Reptiles and More...
- By T. A. Frail, Jesse Rhodes, Jessica Righthand, Brandon Springer and Sarah Zielinski
- Smithsonian magazine, September 2010
(Brian J. Skerry / National Geographic Stock)
How might the hammerhead shark’s extended snout be a benefit? For pinpointing prey, say researchers in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, who squirted squid juice into the nostrils of small sharks called smooth dogfish. The results suggest a shark’s brain uses minute time differences between the arrival of a scent at each nostril to detect where it is coming from. Widely separated nostrils would yield a better reading.
Learn more about hammerhead sharks at the Encyclopedia of Life.
Learn more about dogfish at the Encyclopedia of Life.
Additional Sources
“Resolution of Body Temperature by Some Mesozoic Marine Reptiles,” Aurélien Bernard et al., Science, June 11, 2010
“Lord of the Flies: Pollination of Dracula Orchids,” Lorena Endara et al., Lankesteriana, April 2010
“Structure of Social Networks in a Passerine Bird: Consequences for Sexual Selection and the Evolution of Mating Strategies,” Kevin P. Oh and Alexander V. Badyaev, The American Naturalist, September 2010
“Strong and Consistent Social Bonds Enhance the Longevity of Female Baboons,” Joan B. Silk et al., Current Biology, August 10, 2010
“The Function of Bilateral Odor Arrival Time Differences in Olfactory Orientation of Sharks,” Jayne M. Gardiner and Jelle Atema, Current Biology, July 13, 2010
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