Challenging environments can help create some of the most marvelous evolutionary solutions. Two examples: The stoplight loosejaw and the marlin.
The Stoplight Loosejaw is a small, deep sea dragonfish that has an “invisible” red headlight that hides his presence from possible predators. The marlin, a huge fish that can clock up to 80 km/h (50 mph), has “heat-producing tissue beneath the brain and adjacent to the eyes” that helps their brains and eyes work faster. Steve Palumbi, co-author of Extreme Life of the Sea, explains these two wonders in this Cal Academy video.
Watch more incredible marine life videos, and more from Cal Academy.
This Webby award-winning video collection exists to help teachers, librarians, and families spark kid wonder and curiosity. TKSST features smarter, more meaningful content than what's usually served up by YouTube's algorithms, and amplifies the creators who make that content.
Curated, kid-friendly, independently-published. Support this mission by becoming a sustaining member today.