Un grosso cranio per grossi muscoli! Cosa mangiava l’orso delle caverne?

Stefano Rossignoli 3 giugno 2012

E già!!!

Cranio di Orso delle Caverne
Cranio di Orso delle Caverne

Un grosso cranio non è sempre fatto per ospitare un grosso cervello. Noi umani in questo siamo un’eccezione. Il nostro cervello occupa un sacco di spazio e il cranio si è modificato e adattato di conseguenza nel corso dell’evoluzione.

Un’altra funzione basilare del cranio (oltre contenere cervello, occhi, ecc, ecc) è quella di ospitare i muscoli per la masticazione o almeno per muovere la mandibola nell’atto di tranciare. Un fatto molto più comune tra gli animali vertebrati, è quello di sviluppare un grosso cranio per ‘ospitare’ grossi muscoli per masticare, forti e potenti.

A cosa servono muscoli forti e potenti???

Per ghermire e uccidere una preda?

Non direi!

Cerco di spiegarlo in questo breve video, girato alla grotta dell’orso sul Monte Generoso.

Buona visione e a presto!

Insetti suicidi o PREDE?

Stefano Rossignoli 21 maggio 2012

Prede di Averla
Prede di Averla

Qualche settimana fa gironzolavo per il Monte San Giorgio come ospite della classe quarta media di Riva San Vitale (CH – In Svizzera le medie sono quattro!), accompagnata per l’evenienza dal loro professore, mio amico nonché compagno di scuola superiore e di Università (Due meccanici diventati naturalisti!!!).

Durante una sosta per spiegare che stavamo camminando sulla linea in cui le rocce cambiano da vulcaniche a sedimentarie, un ragazzo con un ottimo spirito di osservazione notò e ci chiese di spiegare il fenomeno che poi ho ripreso in fotografia di due insetti infilzati sulle spine di un arbusto…

Né io né Enrico avevamo mai visto questa cosa, ma mi venne in mente che un mio amico naturalista, qualche anno fa aveva scoperto che alcuni scoiattoli fanno una raccolta di funghi autunnale come riserva di cibo per l’inverno e li mettono a seccare sulle ramificazioni dei rami degli alberi.

Abbiamo pensato che questo fosse un comportamento analogo da parte di qualche predatore.

E’ bastata una veloce ricerca in rete da parte di Enrico per trovare il “colpevole”.

Le spine vengono infatti utilizzate dalle Averle che sono dei passeriformi presenti sul Monte San Giorgio. Le averle si cibano di insetti e di piccoli vertebrati (rettili e uccelli). Quando il cibo abbonda si fanno anche una riserva di prede che infilzano sulle spine dei rami degli arbusti del bosco e consumano successivamente…

Complimenti ai ragazzi a Enrico e grazie ancora per la bella giornata passata insieme!

Stefano!

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