Animal, mineral or vegetable? If you can guess the identity of the object in this image, leave a hint or a cool fact in the comments (but try not to give the game away)!
Story (and Hint): It was January, 1862 when Charles Darwin first laid eyes on a specimen of the Madagascar orchid Angraecum sesquipedale and exclaimed, “Good Heavens”. He went on to predict that an object like the one in this photo would be found. A few years later, Alfred Wallace agreed with Darwin’s hypothesis, saying of the orchid, “I maintain…that the laws of multiplication, variation, and survival of the fittest, already referred to, would under certain conditions necessarily lead to the production of this extraordinary XXX”. Wallace made a drawing of his prediction, and was proved correct a few decades later.
Photo attribution: Steve Gschmeissner
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madame scientist's not-so-mad musings 
It’s nowhere near bigger than a breadbox. 😉
Valdis Kletnieks , it can indeed be very long! Not quite like a loaf of French bread, though 🙂
From the back story, I know it has to do with oral sex between different species. But what this cunning picture is about, I am not sure, except that these are not real colors.
Pseudocolored scanning electron micrograph, for those interested. Hmm, interspecies sex is a tad sensationalistic 🙂
I think I have an idea of what it is but not 100%, an insect comes to mind when I see this.
Good start, what sort of insect..anyone?
Somebody had fun with photoshop! Other than that, the spiral shape seems evocative of something that can be unfurled.
Excellent observation, William Carter .The unfurling is “powered” by a sac that can contract and expand.
The end of the curled shape is clearly where the action is.
Since we’re talking about something that can be unfurled, this makes me think of a tongue. Those green structures are probably taste buds of some sort.
Vincent Tijms , those blue-green things at the end drive our species to create gustatory delights.
Good deduction, U-Ming Lee . Technically, not a tongue (at least, I don’t think so) but a related part.
An image from a remake of Adaptation starring the lead singer of Kiss?
Thex Dar , you are astute 🙂 They make excellent subjects for images.
Fred Gandt , the event that Wallace and Darwin referred to could be considered a version of a kiss.
It is indeed a probing question Rajini Rao
I so love your posts on everyday science 🙂
So literally true, Boney Kuriakose 😉
I’m glad that mine is a more decent length…
hahaha!
What is the scale of this image?
Time for another hint: a sweet reward awaits the tip of this object (remember the orchid?).
William Rutiser , unfortunately the scale was not specified for this particular image. I will say that the object can be as long as 10 inches, in some species. On the other end of the scale, the little green/blue things in the image are microscopic. (This is a scanning EM, by the way).
A flower’s ATTRACTIVE part
Vinay Krrishna , it is something that gets to the flower’s attractive part 😉 But, it’s not a flower part.
Its a SEM image..does that mean …..”you blew up the kid”?
An living creature do expire before an SEM is taken, Boney Kuriakose , but the blowing up is only on the computer screen, I hope!
🙂
One of many
Is it a flying critter who drinks what flowers make?
So this would be an example of proboscopic imaging?
wow, that’s awesome! I know, I never leave a hint because I never have a clue, I just stare in awe! 🙂
proboscis for a butterfly for reaching into a trumpeted type flower…13 cm or so?
Zach Walter , your confusion is understandable since I was trying not to make this too easy 🙂 The orchid inspired Darwin to predict the existence of a species with this object.
E.E. Giorgi , I love your photography, and stare in awe too 🙂
Got to agree with Tom Willingham on that.
Captain morgan…lol
I’ve never seen a photo like this one but I take it this is the business end of the Hawk Moth that pollinates Angraecum sesquipedale.
BTW… I love angraecums.
if it were on a human it would be around – 25 to 40 feet?
I Think this a macro shot of a flowers central part containing of the protrusive stamen and stigmas
Could this be a proboscis of a moth Or a butterfly even ?
Robert Edouard , oh no! I think our DNA may stretch that far but not this body part 🙂
Merry Welly , I learned something about orchid roots..I’ll have to look that up! But, no…you need to probe more for the answer. It’s the answer to the evo-devo story as you guessed. Think of something than unfurls to get to the orchid.
Tom Willingham , thanks for the link! I guess we would have to pool several cells, unwind their chromosomes, concatenate the DNA so as to reach 25-40 feet. Any idea how long our intestines are?
Earthworm?
Much obliged, Tom Willingham .
[I’m at work (checking in briefly), or I would have dug out the info myself.]
Not an earthworm, Shane Copen . Think of something that can fly to the orchid.
Thank you, Tom Willingham . I will be forced to take retirement if I don’t get through my To Do list for the day 😉
Orange you glad you don’t have to work so hard for your food?
(Sorry, the punster in me couldn’t resist the predominant colour there).
I’d have guessed animal, but more likely to have guessed an insect eye if I hadn’t cunningly read the prior comments. 🙂
X. morgani trump
Drew Sowersby , ah yes, but which someone? 😉
Jyoti Dahiya , on the Community share, someone picked sunflower with seeds…going by the color as well.
Rombaut Verdonck , also known as Morgan’s Sphinx (that is vague enough also, to not give the answer right out). Thanks!
Rajini Rao This post is brilliant!! Thanks a TON!!! Could u pls tell me where u got this pic
As a kid, I always saw them whiz around and thought they were humming birds of some sort! But looking closer I realized they weren’t.
Tsk, Drew Sowersby . I knew that 😉
Here is the original pix with caption: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/5-moth-proboscis-sem-steve-gschmeissner.html
Answer: Thanks for playing, everybody! There were some creative guesses that included a sunflower with seeds, a curled earthworm, fennel seeds, a snake without scales, and a kiwi (?!). As many of you correctly deduced from the clues (or reverse Google Image search!), this is the proboscis of a moth. The blue/green spiky things are sensillae or taste buds. Kept curled up when not in use, the moth proboscis can be extended to pierce a fruit, delve into the depths of a flower for nectar, or even suck tears from a bird’s eye (yes, really!).
The story in my post refers to the unusual length- 30 cm, of the flower now known as Darwin’s orchid. Darwin realized that the pollinator would have to have a proboscis long enough to reach the nectar, and in doing so, pick up pollen grains to fertilize other orchids. Read the story of the African Hawkmoth here: http://wallacefund.info/darwin-and-wallaces-predictions-come-true-0
Terrible quality, but: Adaptation Spike Jonze { Charles Darwin Evolutieleer } 2002
That’s how I knew 🙂
Awesome film.
Awww, I missed out on the fun 😦 Rajini Rao Do you have a set schedule for doing these challenges, or a notifcation circle perhaps so I dont miss future ones?
The poetic version! Thank you, Fred Gandt , for the link 🙂
Chris Mallory , these guessing games do tend to focus on bugs, albeit unintentionally (it’s just that moths and insects make such good subjects, as I’m sure you know). No set schedule (depends on when I see the next awesome image)..but I’ll tag you impertinently next time 🙂
Oh, bugs definitely make some of the best subjects 🙂 But bugs or not, the two of these that you’ve done so far have been fun so I look forward to the next 🙂
Indeed, there are “hummingbird moths”, Drew Sowersby . I think the Hawk moth (Morgan’s Sphinx) of this story is one, let me check.
Drew Sowersby , a beautiful example of convergent evolultion: http://www.arkinspace.com/2013/02/the-amazing-hummingbird-hawk-moth.html
Hawk Moth / Sphinx Moth / Hummingbird Moth are all different names for the moths in the family Sphingidae, though “hummingbird moth” may often be reserved specifically for those in the genus Hemaris.
The names are confusing, but they are all equally gorgeous. Macroglossum stellatarum was the one that popped up in my search. Thanks, Chris Mallory .
Delightful watches, thanks for the links Drew Sowersby .
so nice
Rajini Rao Excellent experiment in Gamification…..that is what we call it.
You are a master of not just science (well you are doctor there 🙂 ) but also in social behavior.
I know MIke Elgan does this mystery photo things…you too?
Enjoyed reading post and comments too.
mandar khadilkar , gamification sounds so hip. Yes, this is a version of mystery photo or MysteryMonday , but with science thrown in!
Wikipedia meaning Rajini Rao
Gamification is the use of game thinking and game mechanics in a non-game context to engage users and solve problems.[1][2][3] Gamification is used in applications and processes to improve user engagement, Return on Investment, data quality, timeliness, and learning.[4] The word was coined by Nick Pelling, a British-born computer programmer and inventor.[5]
Engagement is the name of the game, mandar khadilkar ! What’s tough in classrooms these days is that all our lectures are videotaped and available to grad students to play at 4x speed in the middle of the night before the exam! Most don’t show up to class anymore, so I’ve been wondering how to add value to the classroom experience.
Tom Willingham , yes..only about 25% show up for a 9 am lecture. Since we are teaching adults, we’re not going to take attendance, but it does make me wonder if I should not show up either and just upload the lecture. They only take one lecture a day in their first year (or two)..the rest of the time is spent in lab.
Actually, my students do “Google” solutions whereas I look on PubMed 🙂
It’s a challenge, to be sure.
We don’t check for plagiarism. We don’t have the tools nor the time; besides they are old enough to know better. So we have them sign an honor code, teach ethics courses and let them know that plagiarism leads to dismissal. It works remarkably well, for the most part.
Exactly, Tom Willingham . I need to remind myself of that every so often 🙂
Rajini Rao….excellent post….thx a lot!!
very nice
Looks like a flower
good
Animal
nice
wonder ful wallpaper
Moth proboscis. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the tip of a coiled proboscis of a moth (order Lepidoptera). The proboscis is an elongated hollow tube (yellow), used to suck up nectar and other liquids. The tip has sensilla (blue), insect sensory organs. These sensilla let the moth taste its food.