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Nest kept warm: mallee fowl
The nests of mallee fowl provide warmth for eggs by use of rotting vegetation.
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Pelt is adapted for thermoregulation: numbat
Sparse and shallow pelt of the numbat favours passive heat loss in the hot summer and radiative heat gain in the cooler winter
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Lingual rete precools blood: gray whale
Lingual retes of gray whales precool blood in the tongue to avoid heat loss via counter-current heat exchange.
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Vascular lining helps maintain body temperature: leatherback sea turtle
The vascular lining in the trachea of adult leatherback sea turtles helps them maintain body temperature while foraging in cold water via counter-current exchange.
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Blubber absorbs heat: bottlenose dolphin
The blubber of the bottlenose dolphin absorbs heat by acting as a phase change material
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Internal thermostat regulates temperature: skunk cabbage
The internal thermostat of skunk cabbage regulates temperature, following a mathematical algorithm, dubbed the "Zazen attractor."
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Blood vessels regulate temperature: vertebrates
The blood vessels of vertebrates regulate temperature by allowing more blood to flow to the skin when cooling is needed and restricting blood flow to the skin when heat must be conserved.
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Tightly packed stems insulate against cold: cushion plants
The stems of cushion plants protect from the cold via tight packing.
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Collective body heat warms nest: wood ants
Wood ants heat their nests using collective body heat from large groups.
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Hot spots cool and heat: Brazilian free-tailed bat
The flanks of Brazilian free-tailed bats aid thermoregulation due to a unique arrangement of arteries and veins creating thermal windows.
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Humidity changes exoskeleton color: Hercules beetle
The exoskeleton of the Hercules beetle changes from green to black with increasing humidity using thin film interference by reversible modification of layer thickness.
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Brown fat oxidation generates heat: ground squirrel
Fat cells in ground squirrels generate heat rapidly following hibernation by oxidizing brown fat.
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Seedpod autorotates: sycamore
Samara of the sycamore autorotates due to curved shape.
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Feathers trap air to provide warmth: emperor penguin
Feathers of penguins trap air to retain warmth by being filamentous and forming a continuous layer around the body.
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Feathers protect from water: Gentoo penguin
The feathers of penguins prevent water from penetrating to the skin due to their stiff, tightly packed structure.
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Dense underfur insulates: reindeer
The coat of a reindeer insulates against polar cold via dense underfur.
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Blood flow regulates heat exchange: alligator
Skin of alligators regulates heat exchange by increasing blood flow.
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Vibration creates heat: honeybee
Honeybees create heat in hives via thoracic vibrations.
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Beak size optimized for thermal regulation: birds
The beak size of birds is optimized for thermal regulation because they vary in size relative to latitude and environmental temperature, a concept called Allen's rule.
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Underhairs provide insulation: Merino sheep
The wool of Merino sheep forms an insulating layer via underhair that creates hundreds of trapped air pockets.
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Group organization protects from the cold: emperor penguins
Groups of emperor penguins save energy and protect from the cold during incubation thanks to social huddling.
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| Creating sequence algorithm for exposure of heat elements. Siting urban houses and buildings with appropriate insulation characteristics, Reducing heat island effect. |
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Skin fine-tunes internal temperature: African elephant
The skin of elephants allows them to fine-tune thermal regulation via 'hot spots', patches of skin that are highly vascularized.
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Fur provides insulation: polar bear
Hair of polar bear insulates it from cold because it has low emissivity in infrared.
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| Highly effective insulation for extremely cold conditions; camouflage clothing to avoid infrared detection; light and easily manipulated building material; more efficient solar water heaters. |
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Cell metabolism produces heat: mammals
Cells within brown adipose tissues of mammals and birds produce heat by uncoupling of mitochondrial respiration.
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Bill used as heat exchanger for thermoregulation: toco toucan
Bill of toco toucan acts as a heat exchanger to regulate body temperature by adjusting blood flow
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