Animal Life - Reindeer
Reindeers are ruminants, "an even toed ungulate mammal that chews the cud regurgitated from it's rumen," their first stomach. But unlike cows, sheep, and camels, the reindeer has evolved to survive freezing Arctic winters.
For instance, compared to other mammals, the reindeer are much more efficient in their use of Vitamin D. This is not only generally needed, but they need a lot of it as it also builds their bony antlers, which even females grow.
Like polar bears and Adélie penguins, reindeer mutations improve fat use, fat transport, and the building of fat reserves. Scientists believe this discovery can help us understand fat accumulation in humans as well.
Reindeer may also help us unravel disorders which are based on disrupted biological clocks, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder and insomnia. Since the amount of sunlight varies so much in the Arctic Circle, reindeer seem to have lost their day/night clock through genetic changes.
Santa's Official Reindeer Live Feed
There aren't any live cams, but here's an Arctic video from Explore (2015).
Comments
Post a Comment