The Avengers of Evolution: Animal Superpowers

Joe Hanson of the wonderful PBS Digital Studios web series, It’s Okay to Be Smart, looks at the animal world’s awesome abilities and superpowers, many that put comic book superheroes to shame. Evolution has come up with some pretty amazing ways to get things done when it comes to animals, plants and microbes. Hanson has a crazy number of examples of mad creature skills. From chitons, with iron magnetite-covered teeth, a salamander’s ability to regrow entire limbs, the frog that can extend its bones out its fingers to make claws a la Wolverine, to the camouflage abilities of many animals and the mantis shrimp’s epic punch. Our favorite is the Lesser Water Boatman’s ability to make the loudest noise in nature, by size.

(Thumbnail image courtesy of Nature’s Mighty Pictures)