AskNature

Many mammals can suspend development of embryos to deliver at more favorable times. 

Genes of giraffes maintain cardiac health despite high blood pressure by keeping thickened heart muscles supple.

Naked mole rat queens stay reproductive through long lives by maintaining the health of a large number of egg cells.

Marmots maintain strong bones during hibernation by building up without breaking down.

Body of the dung beetle reduces soil ahesion via non-smooth surface morphology.

Taller bumps compensate for loss of friction due to polar bears' relatively smaller paw pads. 

Dragonfly wings are lined with sensors that help the insect navigate using information about airflow and wing strain.

A single protein found in bloodworms performs six distinct functions critical for the formation and performance of the creature's jaw.

The carton nests of jet ants are reinforced by the hyphae of resident fungi.

The Dufour's gland of plasterer bees protects their nests from water by secreting a natural polyester.

Leaves full of holes help the Swiss cheese plant capture intermittent light

The wooly hairs of the alpine edelweiss intercept and de-energize harmful ultraviolet radiation before it reaches the plant’s cells.

Nests of wasps are sturdy because they incorporate fibers in a parallel pattern.

Temnothorax ants adjust to colony growth or diminution by shedding and reconstructing their nests.

Entrances to ant nests protect them from flooding during high tide by collapsing to block the opening.

Moths use changes in speed and altitude to maintain trajectory despite changes in windspeed and direction.

Tiny leg hairs help spiders sense subtle air movement by conducting it directly to nerve cells.

Flying squirrels have membranes and cartilage that help them change lift and drag forces, enabling them to glide more than 100 times their body length.

When pelican wings glide close to water, they use “ground effect” to maximize lift, minimize drag, and conserve energy.

When bull snakes and their relatives bellow in defense, tissue boosts air flow as it passes over a single vocal cord to create an initial burst of sound.

The tree-hole frog amplifies the sound of its call by adjusting its pitch to match the resonant frequency of its surroundings.

Common reeds and other wetland plants transport gases through a network of spaces between their cells.

Microscopic scales provide lift to nature’s “flying flowers.”

The Eurasian diving bell spider uses silk and goo to make an airy home for itself beneath the surface of a pond.

Mycorrhizal network sustains diversity in a forest by transporting nutrients and water.

The seeds of yew trees are protected from being eaten by large animals because they contain poisonous compounds called taxanes.

The cuticular wax of the dwarf mountain pine enhances photosynthesis by using fluorophores that convert UV light into blue light that can be used for photosynthesis under low-light conditions.

The leading edge of the tornado-like spinning maple seed provides a constant lift force, allowing seeds to disperse over a greater area.

Trees in cloud forests cope with the dry season by absorbing water from clouds directly through their leaves.

Nepenthes pitcher plants and treeshrews maintain a mutually beneficial relationship by exchanging nutrients.

Cellulose fibers in plant stems increase toughness by winding around tubes at an angle

Trunks and branches of trees withstand external stresses through load-adaptive growth.

Roots of longleaf pine protect from strong winds by forming both large anchoring taproots and a widespread lateral root system.

The mud nest of the apostlebird is a sturdy home high in the trees, built using a jiggled-mud construction technique.

The cooling effects of shade trees in subtropical regions are most influenced by foliage density and leaf thickness, leaf texture, and leaf color lightness.

Trunk of pine tree withstands wind and snow via spiral growth.

Air-filled sacs in the pollen grains of pine trees allow pollen to travel farther through the air

Deciduous trees allow more water to reach the soil and seep into streams by seasonally shedding leaves that lose water via evaporation.

Resin produced by conifer trees protects from mechanical or insect damage because it flows, then hardens to seal the wound site.

Tall, wide trees in the forests of the Pacific Northwest serve as nurse logs to their seedlings after they fall, providing decades of water and nutrients as they slowly decay.

Bark of trees keeps surface cool by minimizing absorption of solar light and maximizing thermal emission

The structure of the cells in xylem passively moves water from roots to leaves through a system of chambers and valves, and filters out pathogens.

Trees along rivers help retain carbon in an ecosystem by adding organic debris and slowing down water.

Sharp claws on squirrel feet increase vertical agility by giving strategic points of attachment while other body structures shift direction.

Bristlecone pines can survive for thousands of years in harsh environments by shutting down non-essential processes.

Flowering of grass trees following a fire may be triggered by a huge release of ethylene gas as the trees burn.

Roots of broad-based trees with stiff trunks resist uprooting through compressive buttressing.

Elephants direct blood flow to their skin surface in areas scattered over their bodies to dissipate excess body heat. 

The large ears of elephants aid cooling by radiating heat from blood vessels, and flapping to generate cooling air currents.

Three muscle fiber patterns inside trunks work together to provide the strength, support, and resistance needed to bend and twist with extreme agility.

The foot of the African elephant absorbs and distributes mechanical forces by consisting of sheets or strands of fibrous connective tissue forming larger metacarpal/metatarsal and digital compartments and smaller chambers filled with adipose tissue.

Elephants alert others to danger with low-frequency vibrations created by stomping their feet.

Elephants may induce labor by eating the bark of the red seringa tree.

Nasal passages of elephants communicate by emitting vibrations that cause infrasonic sounds.

Camel fur and sweat glands combine to form a powerful temperature management system.

The bigger barbules and higher number of microscopic prongs on the down of eider ducks trap more heat than other feathers.

Hibernating hedgehogs slow their metabolism and organ function to a near standstill.

Long scales on the underhair of otters and fur seals trap air to retain heat and prevent water penetration.

A distinct set of hormones alter insect behavior by changing metabolic function during times of stress.

Insulated outer leaves of the cabbage groundsel protect tender inner leaves from freezing by folding inward to enclose them at night.

Small leaves are more effective at keeping cool and protecting insect eggs from fatally high temperatures.

The leaves of groundsels on Mount Kenya are protected from frost damage by an internal antifreeze substance.

Leaves of the sensitive plant protect themselves from predators and environmental conditions by folding in response to touch.

One provides shelter, the other provides fertilizer, and both are better off for it.

Wings of morpho butterflies create color by causing light waves to diffract and interfere.

The respiratory system of birds facilitates efficient exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen by using air sacs to maintain a continuous unidirectional airflow through the lungs.

Guard cells use osmotic pressure to open and close stomata, allowing plants to regulate the amount of water and solutes within them. 

By absorbing the sun’s blue and red light, chlorophyll loses electrons, which become mobile forms of chemical energy that power plant growth.

Blood-filled sinuses within the eye sockets of horned lizards squirt blood in self-defense by swelling and rupturing.

Fingertips increase touch sensitivity due to mechanoreceptors underneath the surface of the skin

The seed heads of sunflowers optimize the packing of seeds by growing florets in a spiraling pattern connected to the golden ratio and Fibonacci sequence.

Bees and wasps build space-efficient and strong nests using hexagonal cells.