Page 35 - How It Works - Book Of Amazing Answers To Curious Questions, Volume 05-15

Environment

How far can Why are eggs

an owl’s head egg-shaped?

rotate around? ggs have evolved to be egg-shaped –

Eknown as an asymmetrical tapered
n owl can swivel its head 270 degrees oval – for a few reasons. The shape makes
Ain either direction. Some scientists it easier for the hens to lay the eggs, as
have claimed this is due to bone and their cloacae (the vent through which hens
vascular structures that run along its pass eggs, as well as waste) muscles fi nd
neck to the skull. It is these more surface area on the tapered end. An
structures, rather than the fact an egg’s shape also makes it less likely to roll
owl has double the number of bones out of the nest, because it will make a
in its neck compared to a human, circular path when it rolls. Finally, the
that enable it to turn its head that far. shape also means more eggs can fi t into
Its head is also only connected by one the nest and that they can fi t snugly
socket pivot, making it more fl exible than together to stay warm.
ours, which is connected by two. The
reason an owl does this is because it has
fixed eye sockets and therefore poor

peripheral vision.

Why do trees

only grow to a

certain height?

What’s the
number of factors can limit tree
A growth, but water transport is what
puts the ultimate cap on their height. The difference
taller a tree, the further it needs to carry
water and the harder it needs to work between a
against gravity in doing so. Although trees
gain an advantage in growing taller than bumble bee
their neighbours and capturing more
sunlight, beyond a certain point it costs
them more energy-wise to keep their and a wasp?
uppermost leaves hydrated than they
gain from the additional light, causing et’s start with the similarities.
them to stop growing. Other L Bumblebees and wasps are both
What is mohair? environmental factors such as nutrient flying insects belonging to the order

or water limitation and climate, also affect Hymenoptera. And they are both
ohair is a silky, luxurious textile how tall a tree can grow. yellow and black. That’s basically it.
Mproduced from Angora goats. After Bumblebees are a group of about 250
shearing, the hair is spun into yarn, then species which are all members of a
knitted, crocheted, or woven onto a cotton single genus, Bombus, they live in
backing. The name ‘mohair’ likely comes small social groups of 50 to 400 and
from the Arabic ‘mukhayyar,’ referring to a they eat nectar and pollen. Wasps are
cloth made of goat hair. Mohair is a popular a much larger group of 30,000 loosely
fabric because it can be easily dyed and is related species. Nearly all of them are
wrinkle resistant, flame resistant, and solitary predators that lay their eggs in

moisture resistant. It’s also very durable the body of another insect. Only about
and warm while being light. Mohair was so a thousand wasp species are social
highly prized in Turkey that export of both and live in colonies, but these are the
the fabric and goats was restricted until ones we tend to see most often.
the 1820s.

How It Works 35