Animals that glow in the dark!
Channel: Genuine Rockstars
Date: 2022-08-09

Jasper Ponstein is a PhD candidate in vertebrate palaeontology, focusing on the origin of herbivory in early tetrapods with special interest in the evolution of the lower jaw. In this video, however, we discuss the results of his newest paper on a vastly different topic. Multiple mammal species turn bright pink when exposed to ultraviolet light, due to a process known as ultraviolet-induced photoluminescence (UV-PL). Jasper and colleagues illuminated the biological origins of mammalian UV-PL and conclude this exciting phenomenon is simply the byproduct of the body’s waste management. Are there more luminescent animals, and how can luminescence be linked to palaeontology?


Link to the paper: https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12655


Credits:
Museum für Natürkunde Berlin - Museum für Natürkunde Berlin
A Syzygium leaf showing herbivory in Bangalore - Swati Sidhu - Wikipedia
Artis zoo Amsterdam entrance – Mtcv - Wikipedia
The first mounted skeleton of a stegosaur (S. ungulatus), Peabody Museum of Natural History, 1910 – Wikipedia
Vegetative matter - NickyPe – Pixabay
Plant structure, cellulose – LadyofHats – Wikipedia
Herbivory Gorilla - NickyPe - Pixabay
Three-dimensional structure of cellulose - Ben Mills -  Wikipedia
Giraffe chewing - NickyPe - Pixabay
Highlander cow - Brian Taylor – Unsplash
Lower jaw deer - M W – Pixabay
Glowing fur - Toussaint, SLD, Ponstein, J, Thoury, M et al. (2022). Fur glowing under ultraviolet: in situ analysis of porphyrin accumulation in the skin appendages of mammals. Integrative Zoology 00, 1– 12. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12655
Wet specimens from the 1800’s – Carola Radke – Museum für Natürkunde Berlin
Bird feathers under UV- Connel Bradwell on Twitter - https://twitter.com/connelbradwell/status/828339637408063489?s=20&t=b3WNGmLc-dTtSBAdxwm4iw
J. Martin and E. Olson, Northland College; from Olson et al. 2021, Scientific Reports. - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83588-0
Pee - Fred GREE - Pixabay
Sunrise - Hans Braxmeier – Pixabay
Scorpion UV -  Leon Pauleikhoff – Unsplash
Bird fluorescence - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-55522-y
Gecko fluorescence - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-79706-z
Chameleon fluorescence - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-19070-7
Frog fluorescence - https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1701053114
Fish fluorescence - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0083259
Tardigrade fluorescence - http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0391
Solnhofen crocodyliform under UV - https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.211601
Porphyrin in fossil squirrel bones - https://vmnhpaleontology.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/squirrel/
Millipede under UV - Platelicker - Pixabay
City in UV - Simon Hrozian – Unsplash
Black light – crime scene - https://youtu.be/GrFxZ5IMz5w
Doctor - faizanhanif1414 - Pixabay
Oxford Natural History Museum - Waldo Miguez – Pixabay
Excavations - https://youtu.be/QCIWvDd5zFU
Collaborating ants - adege – Pixabay