Prompt Cast
Glowing Fur: The Surprising Discovery of Biofluorescence in Mammals
TLDR Researchers have discovered that the fur of the duck-billed platypus can glow under UV light, revealing stunning blue and cyan colors. This finding has led scientists to speculate that biofluorescence may be more common in mammals than previously thought.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The egg-laying duck-billed platypus has fur that can glow, according to a recent discovery by Dr. Paula Anick and her team at Northland College in Wisconsin.
00:50
When UV light is shone on them, the fur of flying squirrels can biofluoresce and appear bright pink.
01:36
Flying squirrels were found to biofluoresce and glow under UV light, leading Paula and her team to wonder if there are other mammals that also have this ability.
02:24
The team went into the museum's storage area, using headlamps to search for the duck-billed platypus specimen and see if it glowed under UV light.
03:09
The platypus glowed under UV light, revealing blue and cyan colors that resembled a starry night.
04:02
The discovery of the glowing platypus led the team to realize that this trait may not be unique to the platypus and could be found in other mammals, particularly those active at night or in twilight.
04:59
The discovery of the glowing platypus has revealed an unseen world of beautiful glowing color and highlights how much is still unknown about nature.
