Unicorns - Real Animals Behind The Myth

Magical and mystical, unicorns have been the subject of legends and myths for centuries. This legendary creature is described to be a large beast that looks like a horse, only that it has a pointed, spiral horn growing out of its forehead.  It was mentioned by the ancient Greeks, throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and even in the bible. European folklore believed the animal to posses strong magical powers that could cure any illness and even bring the dead back to life. 

Although many believed in this creature, no one has really capture one. Hunts to capture this animal were even organized, often coming back with nothing. There have been many reports of sightings, but then again these could be other animals that simply resemble the mythical unicorn's appearance. Here are some possible origins of this magical creature.

Fabricated Evidence

Among the number for prehistoric bones discovered at a site called the Unicorn Cave in the Harz Mountains in Germany, some were taken out and reconstructed Otto Von Guericke, the mayor of Magdeburg. He presented the remains as a unicorn in 1663 and everyone believed that this was the real deal. The reconstructed figure was actually composed of the fossils of a woolly mammoth and the rhinoceros. A narwhal horn was added to the forehead of the skull to give it a realistic look. The remains were later declared as fake but the legend continued. 

Aurochs

During an excavation at the Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization, small stone seals were found that has elegant depictions of the animals that we seen in the area. Some of the stones had a unicorn-like figure on them, as well as an Indus script that still baffles researchers and scholars till this day. Mind you, these stones were dated back to  2500 B.C, so it's possible that prehistoric man were already believing in unicorns. The closest interpretation of the unicorn seal was that it was a representation of the aurochs, which is a type of wild cattle which once inhabited North Africa, Asia, and Europe. But this still does not explain why the seals only show one horn on its profile.  

Elasmotherium or rhinoceros

Another suggestion for the origins of the unicorn is that it is based on the Elasmotherium, a species of the rhinoceros which is already extinct. This huge Eurasian mammal was a native to the steppers, south of where the woolly rhinoceros of Ice Age Europe lived. The Elasmotherium looked nothing like a horse, but it did have a large single horn growing out of its forehead. This animal were said to have become extinct about the same time as the wooly mammoths and rhinoceros, but some scientist believe that it survived long enough to have been remembered by native European people. 

Single-horned goat

Every now and then, common domesticated animals are born with strange mutations that make them look extraordinary. One of the most common theories about unicorns is that it was actually just a single-horned goat. This theory is supported by the fact that unicorns were also described as goats, not only horses, that had one horn. Some people also produced these single-horned goats by re-modeling the "horn buds" on young goats in a way that their horns would twist and grow together. 

Narwhal

During the Medieval and Renaissance eras in Europe, unicorn horns were often found the cabinets of curiosities. However, many of these were proven to be the straight spiral single tusk of the narwhal, which is an Arctic cetacean. They were hunted and their horns taken and bought to the south as valuable trade objects. Narwhal horns are made out of ivory, so many believed that there were legit unicorn horns. And since these horns were considered to contain magical powers, it would sell for a price worth a fortune. Queen Elizabeth I of England was even reported to have kept one, given to her by Arctic explorer Martin Frobisher. 

Oryx

This animal is an antelope that has two, thin, long horns growing from its forehead. Some suggests that the oryx could have passed as a unicorn, although their horns grew towards the back of their heads, unlike the classic description of a unicorn. However, travelers and explorers who would cross Europe to go to the distant lands of Arabia and Northern Africa would tell stories of this unicorn-like creature. The Peregrinatio in terram sanctam, which is a book that describes the pilgrimage to Jerusalem passing Egypt, describes the many animals that you would see throughout the journey, which includes camels, crocodiles, and unicorns (presumably an oryx which is common in these routes). 

Eland

Southern Africa is known for its many legends and stories of spiritual and mystical creatures, which are often based on real animals. The Eland is a very large antelope that would defend itself against fearsome predators like lions, and even being able to kill them in battle. They're commonly depicted on rock art found in caves and cliffs in the region. People in the area viewed it as a sacred beast, and travelers could have picked up its legend and brought it with them back to Europe. Clan MacLeod in Scotland is reported to have custody of a unicorn horn, which was identified as an eland horn after investigation. 

Whether you believe that somewhere out there, a real unicorn is running free in a field, or that this creature is only the stuff of legends, you should know that it had very deep roots in the history and culture of many places in Europe. Scotland even named the unicorn as their national animal.

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9 of Biggest National Animals

Every country has what they consider as a national animal. Usually it’s an indigenous specie that’s unique to the area, an animal that they want to represent their country. Some places prefer to choose specie that’s small and friendly, while other prefers one that’s on the big side.

Below are some of the biggest national animals and which country they represent.

Snow Leopard – Afghanistan

You might think that Afghanistan is the last place a snow leopard would be living, but this big cat is actually native to areas in South and Central Asia, which is exactly where Afghanistan is found. These cats can grow to 27 to 55 kg (60 to 121 lb). They are listed in the IUCN Red List as endangered, and there are roughly around 4,080–6,590 adults in the wild today.

Grey wolf – Turkey

Gray wolves are also called known as western wolf or timber wolf and are native to the remote areas and wilderness of Eurasia. It’s the biggest amongst the family of canid, averaging at 95–99 lb for males and 79–85 lb for females. They’re one of the most well researched animals in the planet and have a very long history with humans.

Royal Bengal Tiger - Bangladesh   

Another big cat that’s also listed in the IUCN Red List as endangered, the Bengal tiger is the most common tiger subspecies found in the world. Their coats have a light orange to yellow color with stripes that range from black to dark brown. These tigers can reach a weigh of 717 lb (325 kg) and a body length of 130 in (320 cm).

Markhor – Pakistan

These large wild goats are seen in Pakistan, as well as areas around it, even leading up to Indian-occupied Kashmir and Jammu. They’re also called Shakhawat and are known for their interesting, spiral horns which can grow to about 160 cm long.

Komodo dragon – Indonesia

Probably the closest thing we have to a real dragon, the Komodo Dragon is an enormous lizard species native to the islands of Padar, Montang, Gili, Flores, Rinca, and Komodo in the Indonesian archipelago. They’re the biggest living lizard species, growing to a body length of 10 ft and weighing in at 150 lb.

Indian elephant – India

The Indian elephant is an Asian elephant subspecies that’s indigenous to mainland Asia. These huge animals can grow to around 6 to 11 feet tall and 4,400 to 11,000 lb. sadly, these majestic beasts are endangered and suffer from fragmentation, degradation, and habitat loss.

White-tailed deer – Honduras

These medium-sized deer are native to the Americas and have around 30 to 40 subspecies. Their height and weight very depending on the subspecies, but a male deer can reach a weight of 100 lbs. bucks regrow their antlers once a year and use them for defense and matting purposes.

Philippine eagle – Philippines

Also known as the monkey-eating eagle, the Philippine eagle is endemic to the Philippine forests. usually measuring to 2.82 to 3.35 ft in height and 2.82 to 3.35 ft in length, they can weigh in at 10.4 to 17.6 lb. they’re considered to be the largest extant eagles based on length.

Unicorn – Scotland

This might sound like a joke, but Scotland actually considers the Unicorn as their national animal. Also known as the Queen's Beast, unicorns are horses with a single horn growing out of their skulls. Legend says that these animals have magical capabilities and can grant immortality.

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Asian Unicorn Spotted

Like a ghost that wanders through the thick forests of Vietnam and Laos, the Saola, which looks like a mixture between an antelope and an ox, has baffled researchers and zoologist for years. This creature has kept itself hidden for so long that the last footage of it was taken more than a decade ago.

Dubbed as the “Asian unicorn”, the Saola actually has two horns. It’s called a unicorn because it’s rarely ever seen. Cameras placed all over the forest of the Annamite Mountains by the World Wildlife Fund, together with the Vietnamese government, finally got a few shots of the animal. According to Van Ngoc Thinh, WWF country director for Vietnam, they were in disbelief when they saw the photos.

This rare species was discovered during the early 1990. They’re said to live in the areas that separate Vietnam and Laos. The discovery of the Saola was a first in more than half a century. Most newly discovered animals were small, but the Saola actually has the size of a large ox. Although it’s secretive nature has given it a funny nickname, it also has given reserchers a hard time to get any information about its population members and even its basic biology. According to WWF director of species protectionBarney Long, conservationists have a difficult time protecting the Saola’s population because they don’t really know where these animals live.

It’s said that there are around 250 to 300Saolain the wild. It currently is on the IUCN Red List, however this still does not stop hunters from killing this rare creature.

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Dental scientist probes mysteries of narwhal's 'unicorn' tooth

Boston—Dr. Martin Nweeia and research colleagues cite new evidence of how "the most extraordinary tooth in nature" interprets its icy Arctic environment for the narwhal, the near mythological whale with the spiraling tusk that is a tooth 6 to 9 feet long.

But what use, that tooth of unicorn measure?

Dr. Nweeia views his explorations on the nature of teeth as relevant to the practice of dentistry. "The unusual properties of the tusk's microanatomy and expression give us a new perspective of teeth," he said of his narwhal tooth anatomy study published by the journal The Anatomical Record and first posted online March 18.

"In my own dental practice, I am always communicating how unusual and sensory our teeth are in function. We all tend to get this passive sense of teeth as instruments used in biting and chewing and often forget their tissue origins and abilities as sensory organs."

Speaking of sensory organs, Dr. Nweeia's narwhal research (visit narwhal.org for more information) reveals the sensory pathway between tooth and brain of the Arctic whale. The narwhal tooth system is a hydrodynamic sensor capable of detecting particle gradients, temperature and pressure and is able to detect high salt and fresh water gradients, the dental scientists reported.

Source: Here

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Horse HD Wallpapers

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Rare Saola, Dubbed “Asian Unicorn,” Sighted for First Time in 21st Century

Ghosting through the forests of Laos and Vietnam, the saola—a large ox that looks like an antelope—eluded researchers and their cameras for nearly 14 years.

But camera traps set out by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Vietnamese government in the central Annamite Mountains in Vietnam captured grainy black and white photographs of the extremely rare mammal in September of this year, the group announced this week.

Source: Here

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