Monday, June 26, 2006

Facts About AARDVARKS:


1. They're the first animal in the dictionary. It's true. Followed shortly thereafter by Aardwolf.

aardvark

Hell, it's the first real word in the dictionary. That double A really gives it something special.

2. A quote from the description from Wikipedia: "The most distinctive charactristic of the Tubulidentata is (as the name implies) their teeth which, instead of having a pulp cavity, have lots of thin tubes of dentine, each containing pulp and held together by cementum. The teeth have no enamel coating and are worn away and regrow continuously." Because of my current, soon to be former, job, I knew what all of those words mean (except Tubulidentata, which I found out is the scientific order that Aardvarks belong to) and understood the sentences as a whole.

Oh yeah, and my major? Theology. I find this really funny.

3. Arthur is "the world's most famous aardvark," but um, he doesn't look very aardvark-y to me. More like "ugly mouse." All the kids that grew up on Arthur are slightly screwed in the animal-identification area of life.

4. They're nocturnal, found in sub-Saharan Africa, and subsist on ants, termites, and Aardvark Cucumbers. WTF? Aardvarks can't eat normal cucumbers, like the rest of us?

5. Although they were initially thought to be closely related to anteaters, which are found in South America, it was later shown that they are only Phenotypically related and Genotypically not. Just a product of Convergent Evolution, in which species that evolve seprately end up with similar characteristics. My freshman year in college I took "Genetics for Arts and Letters Majors," and it's rearing it's ugly head. How is it that they always find the oldest professors in the world to teach classes like that?

(And just a side note, I will be blogging all this week that I'm gone. My hotel has wireless, and I'm going to take advantage of that. I've even prepared some backup posts in the event that I'm too tired/otherwise indisposed to blog somedays. So don't desert me! I promise I'm still here.)

11 comments:

Jay said...

Having an Arthur fan in the house, I have sat through enough episodes to ponder the genetic ambiguity of all the creatures on that show. That and why does the mother of Arthur's best friend, Buster the rabbit, wear eyeglasses? Surely her cliched all carrot diet would ensure 20/20 vision.

0000 said...

That aardvark is adorable. Pulpy teeth and all...

Teri M. said...

I, personally, was in total shock when told that Arthur was an aardvark. I'm still not sure I believe it.

Bobealia... said...

Me too, I'm with Teri. Arthur is totally a mouse. I LOVE aardvarks!!! (I said that like the guy in Wallace & Grommit who says, "I LOVE CHEESE!"

doggerelblogger said...

I'd like to try an aadrvarck cucumber. I think.

Anonymous said...

I think aardvarks are cute. Have never heard of an aardwolf though.

Kelly said...

Okay.
I knew who this "Arthur" was... but I had NO effing idea that he is supposed to be an ardvark.
What.The.
That is messed up.
I'm still going to tell me kids he is a mouse. Because that is what he looks like.

Kelly said...

Oh yeah...
And I knew what all that dental lingo meant as well.
My major? Art.
Funny, yes?

Anonymous said...

aardvarks! woo-hoo! i was happy to come back and see the aardvark post. it made my day.

v said...

Hmm, I dunno if I should feel good that I knew Arthur was an aardvark. Umm, what's the Brain supposed to be? Hamster?

And I'm with blog portland, Rabbits don't wear glasses. Sheesh.

As usual, awesome post! I can't wait to share my new aardvark info!

markus said...

i never knew there was such a thing as aardvark cucumbers!