Humans use our tongues primarily to eat and taste delicious foods, like chocolate and sour patch kids. Instead of using the tongue to eat, one type of turtle has a specialized tongue that allows it breathe underwater, according to a new study.
Scientists have been mystified by how the common musk turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) could breathe underwater. Other turtles that breathe underwater, such as Australian side-neck turtles, have a specialized cavity in their butt that extracts oxygen from the surrounding water.
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But the common musk turtle was different. Perhaps it was too proud to breathe out of its rear.
“We knew an organ for aquatic respiration must be found somewhere but finally discovered it accidentally,” said Egon Heiss, a zoologist from the University of Vienna.
Watching baby turtles collect food, Heiss noted how the turtles never ate their food on land. Instead, they always dragged it back to the water before feeding. This prompted a closer look at the turtle’s mouth and tongue.
Turns out the common musk turtle has a relatively small, weak tongue. The tongue region is covered with tiny, specialized bumps; cells called papillae. It is these cells that allow the turtle to draw in oxygen, explains an article published in the journal The Anatomical Record.
Humans also have papillae on their tongues. Our papillae serve an entirely different function. More commonly referred to as taste buds, these cells allow us to taste a rich spectrum of flavors from mouth-puckering sour to delectably sweet.
If asked to choose between breathing underwater and eating candy, I think I might still go for the candy.
Image: Wikipedia
Tags: Amphibians and Reptiles, Animal Behavior, Animals, Marine Life
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