The world is a mysterious place, but through the years, scientists have made many mind-boggling discoveries about our planet. Did you know that trees can communicate with each other or that bees dance to communicate? Here are ten nature facts that will blow your mind.
Trees Communicate with Each Other
Did you know that trees can communicate with each other? Although it can’t be seen with the naked eye, it certainly happens. Trees “talk” to each other through an intricate network of fungi in the soil, known as the “Wood Wide Web.” The fungi connect trees through their roots, allowing them to send each other information by sending signals about upcoming threats like droughts or diseases. Scientists have found that trees alter their behavior through these signals.
Dolphins Have Names
Everyone knows that dolphins are social creatures. They travel in pods of two to thirty dolphins through the ocean. Although they are known to be extremely intelligent, scientists recently discovered that they have names for each other. They use a distinctive whistle to identify each other. When a dolphin hears these whistles being called to them, they respond.
African Buffaloes Vote
Democracy is not just a human behavior; some animals participate in it, too. The African buffalo is known for using a voting tactic when making travel decisions. One at a time, adult females stand up and look in a specific direction before sitting down. They travel in the direction that gets the most votes.
Bamboo Grows Extremely Fast
Bamboo is used to create many different sustainable products, such as fences, walls, borders, and other structures. Luckily, it is the fastest-growing plant in the world. One species of bamboo is said to grow 35 inches in a single day, and some species reach full maturity within 90 days.
Bees Dance To Communicate
Just like many other species, bees are known to communicate with each other. A single queen, hundreds of male drones, and 20,000 to 80,000 female worker bees live in one single hive, and since they have to work together, communication is key. But did you know that bees dance to communicate? Bees dance to show each other where flowers can be located.
There Are More Trees Than Stars in the Milky Way
Scientists have discovered that there are more trees on Earth than stars in the Milky Way. There are between 100 billion and 400 billion stars in the Milky Way and around 3 trillion trees on Earth. But despite that, it is still important to plant more trees!
Birds Are Descended From Dinosaurs
Since the 1960s, scientists have found a lot of evidence to suggest that birds are direct descendants of dinosaurs. According to Smithsonian Magazine, all living birds are dinosaurs, but not all dinosaurs were birds. Some even had feathers, just like birds!
The Blue Whale Is The Largest Animal On Earth
You might think that some dinosaurs would have been the largest animals to ever roam the Earth, but that is not true. Blue whales are said to be far larger than any dinosaur that has ever existed. They can grow to be 100 feet long and weigh up to 200 tons!
Forests Can Make Rain
Forests are said to move so much water from the soil into the atmosphere that they create rain. This is referred to as the Biotic Pump Theory. This impacts the balance of water and heat at Earth’s surface, essentially controlling the weather and producing rain.
Elephants Don’t Forget
We’ve all heard the phrase “memory like an elephant” before, right? Well, it turns out that this is because elephants have a better memory than most living things. It is said that elephants have larger and denser temporal lobes comparatively, which is the part of the brain that stores memories!
