General
Biofluorescent Australian mammals and marsupials take scientists by surprise in accidental discovery
Following the accidental discovery by scientists in the United States that platypuses glow under UV light, further tests by Australian scientists show other mammals and marsupials also glow.
Key points:
- Scientists around the world have excited by the discovery that some marsupials and mammals, including platypuses and wombats biofluoresce under UV light
- Biofluorescence is a glow-in-the-dark phenomenon where light waves are absorbed and re-emitted based on the properties of the fur or skin of the animal
- More research is required to understand why these animals glow under UV light
Biofluorescence has long been known to occur in some insects and sea creatures, but it was unknown that it occurred in other Australian mammals until earlier this…
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