Page 21 - How It Works - Book Of Amazing Answers To Curious Questions, Volume 05-15

Environment

This group of chimps in
Gabon check themselves
out in a zoo keeper’s mirror

Can animals recognise

their own reflections?

How vain are chimpanzees?

ost animals don’t tasteless dye to the face of an animal,
recognise their own then placing it in front of a mirror.
M refl ection. Doing so Touching the dye shows that it
requires a self-awareness that most recognises itself. Apes such as
animals possess. Developed in the chimps, bonobos and orangutans
1970s by biopsychologist Dr Gordon have been seen to pass the test, as
Gallup Jr, the mirror test involves have other species like dolphins,
putting dots of an odourless and elephants and magpies.

What makes 3 Orchid royalty

Paphiopedilum
orchids special? was named after a
rothschildianum
member of the wealthy
Blooming unbelievable traits of these Rothschild family and
was so keenly hunted
beautiful, rare and exotic fl owers by collectors that it
nearly became extinct.
Nicknamed the King of
A rare beauty Orchids, its rarity sees it
The ghost orchid (Epipogium sell at auction for up to
a
1 phyllum, right) is among the £3,250 ($5,000) a plant.
rarest in the world. Strangely, this
plant contains no chlorophyll and
only grows tiny scale-like leaves, so
it has to rely on an array of symbiotic
fungi for nourishment.
Medicinal wonder More various than birds 5 Human likeness
Orchids have been used in 4 New species of orchid are The bilateral symmetry
t
r
2 aditional Chinese medicine for being discovered each year, of an orchid fl ower gives
centuries. Dendrobium nobile is used adding to some 25,000 already it a similar basic shape to a
to combat kidney disease, while accounted for – twice as many as human face. It’s been
Cremastra appendiculata, known as there are species of bird. Estimates suggested this is what has led
the Chinese tulip, is supposed to tackle show that about 5,000 orchid the plants to be so popular
tonsillitis and even cancers. varieties remain undiscovered. and sought after by collectors.
How It Works 21