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Obviously this is just a coincidence and not adaptive. Squirrels didn't evolve in an environment where people are going around shining them with UV flashlights.
by astazangasta 8y ago
Obviously this is just a coincidence and not adaptive. Squirrels didn't evolve in an environment where people are going around shining them with UV flashlights.
- mhb 8y agoThat might be obvious if they only fluoresced when illuminated with a UV flashlight held by a person.
- astazangasta 8y agoWhen else are they going to encounter that much UV?
- HarryHirsch 8y agoIndeed. There is the fluorescent frog (this one https://www.nature.com/news/first-fluorescent-frog-found-1.21616 https://www.nature.com/news/first-fluorescent-frog-found-1.2...), but the fluorescent compound might well have evolved as protection against UV light. Some other animals have bile dyes in their tissues, and again they are only fluorescent by accident.