We are accustomed to the “miracles” of science and technology and often lose sight of that nature started to use some of them long before the first steam engine or the computer. New inventions often amaze and inspire us, but… how new are they really? Animals deem them obsolete. Before you ten inventions, which you’ve attributed to people. But the animals got their first.
Flaps
Remember, when you look out your airplane window just before landing, the wings appear small flags? They do not allow the plane to stall the slowdown.
Birds have their own version of this clever technology in the form of specially adapted feathers. Bird feathers are widely divided into primary and secondary feathers, while some of them help in flight, and others serve as simple decoration.
But the avian wing is a part called a wing or additional wing (where there could be a “thumb”). Bird manages these feathers, opening a small slot, which helps to stabilize the bird and avoid falling in a slow takeoff or landing. Beauty!
Sonar
Ships, submarines and marine devices are often equipped with a sonar for navigation, prevent obstacles and tracking purposes under water. On the basis of the sonar is the sound radiation at a specific frequency, and the propagation of sound waves in the environment.
The sound waves bounce off solid objects and return to senaru that emits them. The device then sonar gathers information about the shape, size and distance to objects. This is especially useful for the military, but invented the first sonar whales and dolphins. More precisely, for them it was made by nature and evolution.
These amazing animals can find the differences between even the smallest objects from a distance of 15 meters, using the skills of sonar. They don’t need an electronic device to broadcast their frequencies in the ocean. They evolved to use their own voices and receptors in the bodies and find the way to the sea.
It was believed that animals create a “sound landscape” in his mind based on constant feedback, which helps them to build the environment map. They also use their sonar to find food and friends.
Military sonar is so similar to a whale, which even works on the same frequencies from 100 Hz to 500 Hz. Some people suggest that this may be the reason for the mass transitions of whales and dolphins, because they take a signal for your military.
The Navy set your sonar to 235 dB, and whales typically emit sonar signals in the range of 170 dB. Possible loud signals broke the sense of direction of the marine creatures and knocked them off course. And yet it’s amazing how the whales use something so effective that people still have not found this replacement.
Bioluminescence
Speaking of sea creatures, our underwater buddies have used almost everything to improve their own survival. Long before people invented candles, glow in the dark stickers, night lights, fish on the bottom of the ocean already shone for many centuries.
Fireflies and even some types of mushrooms also use bioluminescence to their advantage. All of these organisms have evolved to glow in the dark for various reasons such as engaging partners, attracting prey, warning of predators and communication with other members of the species.
Many studies that have been conducted and will be conducted, dedicated to the implementation of bioluminescence in biotechnology with many practical applications in the modern world. Active chemical substance is luciferin — has a short lifetime in the active state of the light flux. A lot of companies tries to work around this problem so that in the future, perhaps based on bioluminescence will be created by street lights and medical procedures.
Bioluminescence creates a simple chemical reaction that involves luciferin, the enzyme and a few other cofactors specific to certain creatures and plants. People are still just sniffing the dust — but never too late to learn!
Solar energy
Not so long ago a group of scientists studied spotted salamanders and found that the embryos of these lizards contain algae that live inside the young salamanders before they hatch. Algae survive by consuming wastes produced by the embryos of young salamanders. In return, the algae produce energy and food for developing children lizards.
These lizards, in fact, grow on photosynthesis, the same process that use the leaves on the trees to convert sunlight into energy. Also it is similar to how photovoltaic cells (solar panels) convert sunlight into electricity.
Of course, many reptiles also use the heat of the Sun, being cold-blooded, to maintain the temperature and energy level of the body. It seems that these scaly creatures can teach us a thing or two about renewable energy.
Ultraviolet light detection
People are constantly exposed to UV light, but do not have the natural ability to see him. Why we so easily get sunburns. Today you can buy light detectors, which “converts” the UV waves into a form that you will be able to see.
Usually we can’t see ultraviolet light because of the amount of protein in our eyes. And what about animals?
The structure of the eye of the animal consists partly of proteins, the opsins. Some animals find one, two types of opsins in their eyes, so I see less colors and types of light waves than people. We have three types of opsins, allowing you to see a wide range of colors.
However, some animals such as chameleon, have more than three types of opsins in the eyes. So chameleons can see ultraviolet light rays, in addition to colors that can be seen. Chameleon will surely be able to disassemble more parts, plants, objects and other animals than we are.
While chameleons do this with the naked eye, without resorting to the use of the devices. There are also many other reptiles, insects, birds and aquatic creatures that can see ultraviolet light.
Agriculture
Agriculture, cultivation of different crops, may not seem the most technologically advanced process. However, by the standards of human history is still relatively new process. Suffice it to recall, what was the level of mass production and volumes of food supply 50 years ago to change my opinion.
And yet the ants engaged in the cultivation of crops much longer than 50 years. They love to eat sticky, sugary excretions, which allocates aphids after eating the plants.
So the ants go to great efforts to ensure that the ant colony “the apiary”, not allowing the aphid to move too far from the colony. The ants bite off the aphids wings, and excrete chemicals that slow the growth of these wings. Despicable!
And if that’s not enough, not long ago, the ants have learned to surround groups of aphids ant chemical trails, which are typically used to refer to the territory of the colony. These traces, apparently, aphids are slow and do not allow it to get out of your seat that gives the ants access to their favorite sweet food source.
In the same way as farm animals, which include humans, aphids also derives its profits. Chemical traces deter predators — such as ladybugs — eating aphids. Enslaved aphids at least protected from those big, scary, spotted beetles with ants.
Soundproofing
If you ever spent time in a soundproof room, you probably was a nice silence in it. The combination of the insulating layers, absorbent materials, and the like creates an atmosphere in which virtually no abnormal sound is heard.
For many years owls used these qualities for less peaceful reasons. To fly up and grab their unsuspecting prey with deadly accuracy, owls must be completely silent, because the rodents on which they feed, have incredibly sensitive hearing.
For example, the feathers of common barn owls are so soft and small that enable it to hunt in wet weather as they are water-soaked and cold. It is zvukousilitel the body of an owl, which in the darkness catches a small mammal, and sharp claws. The only sound is the squeak of the victim.
To achieve this design allows the feathers. Tiny division and fibers separate the air flow from the wings. This prevents any rough sounds caused by air resistance, for example, when the flapping of wings.
Cloning
When scientists cloned Dolly the sheep, it became clear that this new and strange process will be long with people. But is it new? Let’s ask the starfish.
Starfish asexually reproduced easily, even when nobody heard about cloning. Moreover, marine star, who clones himself, lives longer and healthier than starfish, which are reproduced sexually.
Obviously, cloning is well suited for these creatures. In addition, if the starfish tear off their limbs or even split in two, the creature will simply regrow a limb and regenerate if necessary. Some species are even able to produce a new body of part of the severed limbs.
Starfish obviously is an expert in the field of cloning. Maybe we need them to look a little closer?
GPS
Bird migration remains a mystery to scientists. There are many possible explanations as to how birds know where to fly — the position of the Sun, star map, smell, Earth’s magnetic field, storing the marks in the previous journey…
But none of them explains entirely how the birds manage so successfully and regularly to reach remote destinations, sometimes in the harshest of conditions and in complete ignorance of routes. It is believed that they use GPS technology — which is far superior to human capabilities, built in a small bird-brain.
Theory of the magnetic field seems the most likely, since Fox showed that he is well oriented in the Earth’s magnetic field while hunting. If other animals investigated in magnetic fields, and birds, should put, can. Such a built-in compass.
Retractable blade
Common house cat impresses with its versatility. It can release or hide the claws, if necessary, to keep them sharp or soft, not to hurt yourself when washing. The claws can be brought back to their soft pads to hit the master or kitten and not hurt him.
Isn’t that what inspired the people, creating pocket knives?
10 brilliant inventions that humans picked up from animals
Ilya Hel