Using available box office receipts , Superhero movie franchises have grossed over $40 billion to date, a pretty decent indicator that people are truly into superheroes. But if you're feeling a little burnt out by all this, don't worry. Nature itself offers incredible alternatives to the MCU. In a way, it's almost logical—why shouldn't the world's non-human creatures have superhuman abilities?
10. Flying spiders can fly.
One of the most basic, yet revered, superhero abilities is flight. Humanity has long envied the birds of the air and their conscious freedom, so it's no surprise that superheroes who can fly are a dime a dozen these days. There's something captivating about the ability to fly being mastered by a life form that has nothing to do with flight. Take spiders, for example.
Some spider species engage in a behavior called ballooning. They lift their backsides skyward and release strands of web into the wide open air. The web lifts the spider and carries it away. They can even travel across oceans doing this. This alone is impressive, but it's worth taking a closer look.
You might assume from reading this that spiders are lifted by the wind. Sothought And scientists. But spiders can hardly rely on the fickle nature of the wind, can they? Hot air ballooning doesn't require any wind at all, although that's obviously possible. But even on a windless day, the silk threads they release can lift them upward thanks to the Earth's electric field.
It turns out that spiders are very attuned to electric fields. The hairs on their bodies can actually sense changes in electric fields, and under the right conditions, they can release strands of silk, allowing for repellency. charged thread lift them up and away.
9. Dolphins can turn off half of their brains.
The world's oceans still hold many mysteries, and even those we know are quite surprising. Take a look at the humble dolphin. It's one of the most intelligent animals in the world, and it's been shown to do amazing things, from helping humans hunt fish to saving people from sharks. But have you ever wondered how a dolphin manages something as simple as sleeping?
Dolphins, like all mammals, need to breathe air. So how do you do it when you're falling asleep in the middle of the ocean? If you're a dolphin, you do it in fractions. They have the ability to shut down each hemisphere of their brain individually. This means that the left half of their brain can doze off while the right half stays awake and makes sure they don't drown or get eaten.
This allows them to continue to float slowly while asleep, with one eye open, and maintain alertness in the simplest possible way. This is also important for mothers with infants, as the baby cannot stop floating, otherwise they will drown. The mother continues to swim and pull the baby along in her air current.
Dolphins breathe consciously , unlike humans, whose breathing is automatic. This is why we don't suffocate while sleeping. However, a dolphin must always remain at least partially conscious to control this action.
8. Hummingbirds burn 6 times more calories per day than humans and can fly 500 miles non-stop.
You may not think of a hummingbird as some kind of force of nature, but the truth is that, pound for pound, a hummingbird puts even the world's greatest athletes to shame in terms of physical ability and endurance.
Even though they weigh only a few ounces, these birds are little machines when it comes to what they get done in a day. The average hummingbird can burn between 6,000 to 12,000 calories in one day. On average, a man burns about 2000 calories per day. An Olympic athlete can burn 4,500 pounds . Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson consumes more than 5000 calories per day to maintain his physique, meaning you could argue that The Rock is about half a hummingbird.
What can a hummingbird do with all those calories? The ruby-throated hummingbird must migrate every year, and it chooses to do so by flying over the Gulf of Mexico. In one long flight over open water, the bird will fly for almost an entire day. 500 miles ocean. Little kids need to gain weight before flying, and on the way they will lose half of their body weight .
Near 13% residents In the United States, approximately 30 million people suffer from hearing loss in one or both ears. Finding a way to solve this problem and restore hearing is therefore a major challenge. The answer may lie in nature, as it turns out that birds cannot remain permanently deaf. This is because their ears are capable of regenerating after damage.
If hair cells , The cells that transmit vibrations to your brain, which are interpreted as sound, are damaged. You could lose your hearing permanently if all of them are destroyed. But in birds, as well as some reptiles and amphibians, new cells simply grow when damaged. Scientific discovery of this could lead to treatments for what was once irreversible hearing loss in humans.
The science behind it is complex and there are many hurdles to overcome before it can be potentially help people , but it's a path to travel nonetheless. For now, just know that if you ever meet a deaf bird, it won't stay deaf for long.
6. Beta mandrills physically change to become alphas
Alphas in animal society are something most of us are only casually familiar with. An alpha is the "top" animal in the hierarchy, the boss, so to speak. We've generally adopted this term negatively in human society. An alpha male is someone most people consider a bully. And being an alpha involves much more than just being the loudest or the coolest.
First of all, no such a concept , like an alpha wolf. This doesn't happen in nature, and our understanding of what happens in wolf society has been based on observations of captive animals. But some species do have alphas, including the colorful mandrill baboons.
The difference between an alpha male and a beta male is striking, and can best be observed by observing what happens when a beta male defeats an alpha. The beta male undergoes noticeable physical changes , when it reaches alpha status.
Simply by winning a fight, a beta male achieves alpha status. This includes increased testosterone production. His testicles become larger, and the red, sexual coloring on his face and genitals intensifies to attract more female attention.
5. The nudibranch Elysia marginata can cut off its own head.
Most people wouldn't call Elysia marginata their favorite animal, because who the hell even knows what it is? Well, it's something like a nudibranch or sea slug, and this curious little critter has some pretty heck of a superpower. Like Deadpool, this creature can survive anything, and it's willing to push itself to the limit when necessary. For example, it can and will behead oneself.
Scientists believe this process could be a way to solve problems such as parasites. The slug simply tears off the head from its own body and begins the process of growing a completely new body from the severed head. It will return as good as new, with all its vital organs intact, and the slug will be able to continue living.
4. Lyrebirds can imitate almost any sound
Lyrebirds are remarkable creatures native to Australia. They have showy tail feathers, live on the ground, and blend into their surroundings quite well. But the lyrebird's remarkable feature is its unparalleled ability to mimic almost everything, what he hears. He can imitate up to 20 different birds in one song and uses this to try to lure a mate.
However, lyrebirds don't limit themselves to stealing tunes from other birds. Their sharp ears pick up every sound they encounter in the wild. This has led to some remarkable videos of these birds not only mimicking their feathered counterparts, but also things like car alarms, camera shutters, and even chainsaws . Mimicry is uncanny and in many cases almost indistinguishable from the original.
3. Pumas are unparalleled farmers
When you think of a character like Poison Ivy's ability to grow plants and have a green thumb, you're unlikely to be lost in the animal kingdom at all, as most animals seem to have no idea how seeds and planting work. And guess what? It's true. But just because a cougar doesn't know she's an excellent farmer doesn't make her untrue.
Research shows that a large predator like a puma can scatter tens of thousands of seeds over a wide area. Cougars disperse and fertilize about 5,000 seeds per square kilometer, and the second point explains how this is done. Cougars are apex predators, and their prey is usually herbivores. They eat animals that feed on plants and seeds, and these seeds pass through their digestive tract unhindered. As they travel through their territory, they inadvertently plant up to 94,000 new fruits, flowers and other plant species to maintain the entire cycle year after year.
2. F. Oxysporum Fungus wears golden armor
There are plenty of organisms in the world that could be compared to Iron Man, from turtles to armadillos to mollusks, depending on how fast and loose you want to play with the concept. But do any of them have Tony Stark's instincts? One does. It's called Fusarium oxysporum , and what it lacks in a cool name, it makes up for in a hard-working demeanor.
Fusarium is a fungus that mines gold . This pink mushroom, discovered in Australia, is able to detect gold molecules in the soil and dissolve them . As the fungus grows, it produces tiny, thread-like tendrils. These tendrils draw in gold and become encrusted with it in the process. The researchers also noted that the fungus that found gold actually grew larger than the fungus that failed to do so.
The process occurs in the soil and at a microscopic level, so you're unlikely to see golden mushrooms in the forest anytime soon. However, if there was enough gold, who knows?
1. Newts can regenerate almost anything
Any superhero worth their salt has to be tough. They have to be able to take on the likes of Thanos or Stiltman. And they can't be super-strong like the Hulk or nearly invulnerable like Superman. Sometimes things have to get a little rough and tumble, as they can in the life of a fire-bellied newt.
Many amphibians are known for their regenerative abilities. If they lose a toe or tail, they can regrow it. Fire-bellied newts are no different, but on a whole new, incredible level. Experiments have shown that newts can regenerate their eyes. 18 times in a row for 16 years, and each time the new eyes were as intact as the originals.
Newts are able to survive and recover from severe injuries that would kill most other life forms, such as damaged spinal cord . Hypoxia, the lack of oxygen in tissues that causes things like brain death, is overcome by some newts, which can even create new brain tissue for subsequent restoration of the organ. Even heart damage can be overcome: newts are able to regenerate after damage to up to 10% and up to 20% of heart tissue.