From shapeshifting to magnetic sense: Animal superpowers

From shapeshifting to magnetic sense: Animal superpowers

Evolution has been occurring for billions of years, producing organisms that are perfectly adapted to their environments. 

And this includes abilities that we would normally consider superpowers if humans were to have them. 

But these powers really do exist in the animal kingdom.

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In the superhero world, Matt Murdock, who was blinded by radioactive waste as a child, developed a superhuman ability to sense using sound waves and became the superhero Daredevil. Pictured is Ben Affleck as the Daredevil in the 2003 movie Daredevil

1. Echolocation 

In the superhero world, Matt Murdock, who was blinded by radioactive waste as a child, developed a superhuman ability to sense using sound waves and became the superhero Daredevil. 

This gives Daredevil a 360-degree field of 'vision', allowing him to precisely locate objects or people in all directions, an obvious advantage over normal vision. 

Bats, despite being nocturnal animals, cannot see in the dark. 

Bats, despite being nocturnal animals, cannot see in the dark. Instead they have evolved a similar ability known as use echolocation to navigate and locate prey at night. The bat emits a very high frequency sound and listens for the echo that bounces off objects

Instead they have evolved a similar ability known as use echolocation to navigate and locate prey at night. 

The bat emits a very high frequency sound and listens for the echo that bounces off objects. 

The difference in time between emitting the sound and hearing the echo allows the bat to build up a mental 'picture' of its environment. 

Sounds that take longer to bounce back indicate that the surroundings are further away.

Matt Murdock's ability may not be too far from reality as humans can also learn to use echolocation.

By making clicking noises or stomping their feet some visually impaired people are able to accurately 'visualise' their surroundings.

THE FIVE ANIMAL SUPERPOWERS 

Evolution has been occurring for billions of years, producing organisms that are perfectly adapted to their environments. 

And this includes abilities that we would normally consider superpowers if humans were to have the m. 

Some of these include: 

1. Echolocation: Bats use echolocation to see in the dark and hunt at night. They emit a very high frequency sound and listen for the echo that bounces off objects. The difference in time between emitting the sound and hearing the echo allows the bat to build up a mental 'picture' of its environment.
2. Magnetic Sense: Some animals have a similar magnetic sense known as 'magnetoreception' that they use to navigate and orient themselves. For example, homing pigeons are able to navigate back to their home lofts when visual cues are missing but can't do so when magnets are nearby. This suggests that they may use the Earth's magnetic field to navigate.
3. Shapeshifting: The mimic octopus can alter its colour, behaviour, shape and texture to mim ic a diverse range of species, with at least 13 examples recorded so far including sea snakes, jellyfish and sea anemones.
4. Absorbing Powers: The feathers and skin of Pitohui contain a noxious substance, making them possibly the only poisonous birds in the world and giving them defence against predators. But the birds don't appear to be able to produce the toxic substance directly. Instead, they acquire it by eating Choresine beetles.
5. Chemical Weapons: Bombardier beetles are noted for their unique defence mechanism that enables them to produce acid gas bombs to deter predators such as ants. In extreme cases they may bombard predators with a lethal dose of these chemical bombs that they kill them.

2. Magnetic Sense 

The X-Men's arch-villian Magneto can sense and manipulate magnetic fields with his mind. 

And some animals have a similar magnetic sense known as 'magnetoreception' that they use to navigate and orient themselves.

For example, homing pigeons are able to navigate back to their home lofts when visual cues are missing but can't do so when magnets are nearby. 

Some animals have a magnetic sense known as 'magnetoreception' that they use to navigate and orient themselves. For example, homing pigeons are able to navigate back to their home lofts when visual cues are missing but can't do so when magnets are nearby

This suggests that they may use the Earth's magnetic field to navigate.

Although we don't understand exactly how they do this, pigeons have been found to possess a substance called magnetite in their beaks, which becomes magnetised when exposed to magnetic fields. 

The X-Men's arch-villian Magneto can sense and manipulate magnetic fields with his mind. And some animals have a similar magnetic sense known as 'magnetoreception' that they use to navigate. Pictured is Ian McKellen as Magneto in X-Men: Days of Future Past

So they may be following their nose, so to speak.

Of course, Magneto's magnetic powers can produce a much wider range of effects, from lifting and manipulating metal objects to rearranging matter (a power definitely not seen in animals). 

However, his daughter Polaris has the ability to perceive the world as patterns of magnetic energy, which actually isn't too dissimilar to the powers present in the animal kingdom.

3. Shapeshifting  

Xâ€"Men's Mystique uses shapeshifting to manipulate people. Pictured is Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique in X-Men: Days of Future Past

The ability to shapeshift and mimic the form of others is a formidable power for a superhero or villain â€" and has been used by Xâ€"Men's Mystique on many occasions to lure and manipulate her foes. 

A rare few animals are capable of changing their shape and size in the real world, most notably the mimic octopus.

It can alter its colour, behaviour, shape and texture to mimic a diverse range of species, with at least 13 examples recorded so far including sea snakes, jellyfish and sea anemones. 

Most of the impersonated species are poisonous, and so pretending to be them helps the octopus ward off predators. 

But this shapeshifter is also able to imit ate its prey, possibly in an attempt to lure them in closer before feasting on them.

The mimic octopus (pictured) can change its shape, color and texture to mimic different species, including sea snakes, jellyfish and sea anemones. Most of the impersonated species are poisonous, so pretending to be them helps the octopus ward off predators

4. Absorbing Powers 

The ability to steal the superpowers of another individual is surely the ultimate power, enabling you to have any power in existence. 

Xâ€"Men's Rogue has the incredible ability to absorb superpowers of anyone she touches â€" but so do the Pitohui birds of New Guinea (well, almost). 

The feathers and skin of Pitohui contain a noxious substance, making them possibly the only poisonous birds in the world and giving them defence against predators.

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Xâ€"Men's Rogue (left) has the incredible ability to absorb superpowers of anyone she touches, similarly to Pitohui birds of New Guinea. Their feathers and skin contain a noxious substance, but they don't produce it directly - instead, they acquire it by eating Choresine beetles

But the birds don't appear to be able to produce the toxic substance directly. 

Instead, they acquire it by eating Choresine beetles.

Furthermore, scientists think this toxicity might even rub off onto the birds' eggs and young, making them toxic to predators as well, even though they have never eaten the Choresine beetles. 

So the infant birds are essentially absorbing the superpower from their parents in the same way that Rogue absorbs powers when she touches other people.

5. Chemical Weapons  

One animal ability even goes beyond what has been imagined by superhero fiction.

Bombardier beetles are noted for their unique defence mechanism that enables them to produce acid gas bombs to deter predators such as ants. 

In extreme cases they may bombard predators with a lethal dose of these chemical bombs that kill them.

The acid bombs consist of two chemical compounds stored separately in the beetle's abdomen. 

When threatened, the beetles combine the two compounds, resulting in the production of a boiling mixture that explodes out of the tip of the directional abdomen as a gas.

You'd think this remarkable 'weapon' was surely the precursor for a superpower. 

Bombardier beetles (pictured) are noted for their unique defence mechanism that enables them to produce acid gas bombs to deter predators such as ants. In extreme cases they may bombard predators with a lethal dose of these chemical bombs that kill them

And the superheroes Anarchist and Zeitgeist (members of X Force) both have acid generation powers. 

Anarchist secretes an acidâ€"like sweat, whereas Zeitgeist spews acidic vomit. 

The superheroes Anarchist (left) and Zeitgeist (right), members of X Force, both have acid generation powers. Anarchist secretes an acidâ€"like sweat, whereas Zeitgeist spews acidic vomit

But these are hardly formidable weapons. 

Perhaps it is time that some superheroes caught up with the amazing set of powers that have already evolved in the animal kingdom.