When we talk about the 10 forms comedy that have shaped humanity, we’re really exploring a kaleidoscope of jokes, satire, and mirth that have echoed through the ages. Humor is a universal function of human society, although jokes sometimes fall flat across different cultures and time periods. Nevertheless, since the human race began, we have always sought ways to laugh and to make people laugh. Some traditions are stranger than others.

10 Hija

There are interesting theological implications for humor in the Islamic world, which has always been a part of Islamic literary tradition but has been criticized by many as disrespectful and heretical since the Middle Ages. Mohammad was said to have condemned humor (mezah) in the Quran, and there is the implication that too much lightheartedness is dangerous. But there was also a tradition known as motayeba or “gentle teasing,” which the Prophet engaged in. He supposedly once said that old women couldn’t enter Paradise, but when he noticed that an old lady seemed understandably upset by this, he clarified, “God first makes them younger than they ever have been.”

When Greek comedies were first translated into Arabic, they were associated with a satirical form of Arabic poetry known as hija, sometimes translated as “taunting.” Some say it was first developed by the Afro‑Arabic satirist Al‑Jahiz in the ninth century, who lampooned human psychology. In one notable work, he satirized the desire for a longer penis by saying, “If the length of the penis were a sign of honor, then the mule would belong to the [honorable tribe of] Quraysh.”

Satire was introduced into Persian literature in the 14th century by Obeyd‑e Zakani, a bitter social satirist. One of his anecdotes states, “Someone had stolen Talhak’s shoes when he was in a mosque and thrown them into a church. He said in amazement, ‘It is strange that I am a Moslem and my shoes are Christians.’” Another said, “A muezzin would call out and then run. He was asked, ‘Why are you running?’ He said, ‘They said that my voice is beautiful from afar. I was running so that I could hear it from a distance.’”

Many viewed comedy as the “art of reprehension” and condemned obscene verse, but a surprisingly large amount of hija has survived to the modern day. Some argue that the invective poetry form originated in pre‑Islamic traditions of cursing supernatural entities. Still, hija was often used as a prelude to violence, as it was humiliating and often caused a reaction, though in nonviolent situations it may simply have led to an exchange of hija, the medieval Islamic equivalent of a rap battle.

9 Hasya Rasa

In Sanskrit literature, the comedy tradition was known as hasya rasa, and it was codified as one of the eight “sentiments” (rasa) of literature in the ancient Indian treatise Natya Shastra. Hasya was meant to elucidate mirth or joy in the audience. Some aestheticians have analyzed how the genre affected different classes in society, with upper‑class observers smiling and snickering, the middle class laughing loudly, and the lower classes guffawing with tears streaming down their faces. They also distinguished between people laughing by themselves (atmastha) and a person making others laugh (parastha).

Classical Sanskrit farces were known as prahasana, which were often meant to mock figures of temporal or religious power, such as Brahmins, yogis, ascetics, and monks. These were justified as a means of addressing wrongs in society. One seventh‑century farce questioned the idea that the Buddha had forbidden monks from enjoying wine and women, reasoning that such rules were more likely developed by bitter, jealous old men to deny young men enjoyment. A ninth‑century comedy turned its attention to the ascetic Jains and their perceived pious hypocrisy, depicting a naked and lusty ascetic arguing with a nun, who leaves. A young boy disguises himself as a woman and approaches the ascetic, who advances on the boy in delight until he reaches down his pants and discovers his genitals, his disappointment being hilarious to the watching audience.

Much of the humor was derived from the fact that Sanskrit was considered a sacred language of gods, priests, and the intelligent, yet the content of prahasanas was often profane. In such performances, male and female prostitutes often acted as foils for comically sanctimonious figures of authority like doctors, priests, and generals. They also served as stock characters in comic monologues called bhana, which audiences found hilarious for their physical humor, hyperbole, and shameless audacity.

8 Ancient Egyptian Comedy

Records from texts, paintings, and even tombs have revealed that the ancient Egyptians were big fans of bawdy humor and political satire. One of the oldest jokes in the world was translated from a roll of papyrus: In 2600 BC, court magician Djadjamankh asked King Snefru: “How do you entertain a bored pharaoh? You sail a boatload of young women dressed only in fishing nets down the Nile and urge the pharaoh to go catch a fish.” This was apparently a political satire, with the fishing trip representing the cosmic inevitability of the dynasty’s rule.

The lower classes often used comedy to get one over on the higher classes, even nobility and the pharaoh himself, who was sometimes portrayed as unshaven or effeminate. Slapstick, drunkenness, scatological humor, and animal‑based humor were also well‑represented. These often featured reversals of usual class rules, showing mice, representing the common people, defeating and being waited on by cats, representing the nobility.

Scott Noegel, president of the northwest chapter of the American Research Center in Egypt, described the Egyptian obsession with animal humor, with “ducks pecking at someone’s buttocks, baboons and cats out of control, animals riding on top of other unlikely animals, baboons playing instruments, and animals drinking and dining.”

Early forms of racial humor were also apparent, as the Egyptians would lampoon their neighbors to the south in the land of Punt, portraying their queen as having “folds of fat hanging over her knees and elbows, her back is crooked and she has an aqualine nose.” In the tomb of Tutankhamun, the enemies of Egypt were portrayed in ludicrous submissive positions, appearing on the king’s footstool or at the bottom of his sandals.

7 Crosstalk

The art of xiangsheng (“face and voice”), otherwise known as “crosstalk,” developed in China’s late Qing dynasty, particularly following the death of the Emperor Xianfeng, when a ban on entertainment during the official mourning forced opera singers to perform on the street. They developed a new form of street theater using slapstick to attract crowds. By the start of the 20th century, this had moved to teahouses and theaters.

During the political unrest of the 1930s and 1940s, crosstalk humor became politically incorrect and bawdy, both as a distraction from the chaos and as a satirical riposte against it. Common targets in such performances were corrupt officials, prostitutes, rural country folk, and the political elite.

After the communist takeover in 1949, crosstalk was yet another form of cultural art that was instructed to praise (gesong) rather than to satirize (fengci). A “Committee for Crosstalk Reform” was set up, which went through hundreds of traditional routines that were considered contrary to communist political attitudes or too risque for the puritan Maoists. Controversial pieces like the scatalogical and slightly disturbing Drinking Milk and the double‑entendre‑filled The Birdie That Doesn’t Chirp vanished in the new political atmosphere, replaced by safer, “revolutionary” pieces.

This was ironic, as Mao Zedong was a fan of crosstalk and requested private showings at his Zhongnanhai residence, preferring the traditional routines to the new communist ones. Many of the performers were understandably nervous about performing in front of him, though, with one preferring the more relaxed Zhou Enlai as an audience. While the form has yet to revive its satiric edge of the pre‑communist period, it has loosened more recently.

In the period after the Cultural Revolution, crosstalk was revived somewhat, as many took it as a chance to criticize the excessive zeal of past years. In one skit, a customer at a “revolutionary photography shop” and its clerk must exchange political slogans during all transactions:

Customer: “Serve the People!” Comrade, I’d like to ask a question.
Clerk: “Struggle Against Selfishness and Criticize Revisionism!” Go ahead.
Customer: [to the audience] Well, at least he didn’t ignore me. [Back in character] “Destroy Capitalism and Elevate the Proletariat!” I’d like to have my picture taken.
Clerk: “Do Away with the Private and Establish the Public!” What size?
Customer: “The Revolution Is Without Fault!” A three‑inch photo.
Clerk: “Rebellion Is Justified!” Okay, please give me the money.
Customer: “Politics First and Foremost!” How much?
Clerk: “Strive for Immediate Results!” One yuan three mao.
Customer: “Criticize Reactionary Authorities!” Here’s the money.
Clerk: “Oppose Rule by Money!” Here’s your receipt.
Customer: “Sweep Away Class Enemies of All Kinds!” Thank you.

6 Flatulism

Scatological humor is nearly universal and has a long and distinguished history in the Western world. In 12th‑century England, King Henry II had a large entourage of jesters, nunbulatores (clowns), buffoons, and storytellers to keep him entertained, but Christmas was reserved for something special. Roland le Fartere was a professional flatulist, or fart‑performer, who was in charge of the annual Christmas performance of unum saltum et siffletum et unum bumbulum (“One Jump, One Whistle, and One Fart”). His aptitude at performing was well‑rewarded; he was said to hold the title to land and a manor in Hemmingstone, Suffolk.

Ireland in the 16th century was also home to many professional farters, who were called braigetoiri, though their role was most likely to set their farts on fire for their patrons’ amusement. An early law tract referred to them as performers who practiced their craft “out of their backsides.”

This storied tradition was revived in the 19th century by the Frenchman Joseph Pujol, who discovered while swimming in the ocean that he could inhale water through his anus while he was underwater. Through practice, he discovered that he could bring forth great spouts of water, and then through manipulation of the air, he learned to produce distinct notes and basic tunes. His art made him popular in school and while serving in the army. After a brief distraction opening a bakery, Pujol turned his mind to the stage. He debuted as “Le Petomane” in Marseilles in 1887, winning over the audience with his mastery of petomanie (“fartistry”). He ended up as a performer at the famous Moulin Rouge.

His act included fart impressions, songs, blowing out candles, imitations of thunderstorms and cannon fire, smoking cigarettes from both ends, and even playing the ocarina. While he became the highest‑paid entertainer for a time, he was sued for breach of contract due to farting at people in public and was replaced by a woman using a bellows to achieve the same effect. He opened his own theater, performing until his sons were wounded in World War I. When Pujol died in 1945, his family rejected a request by the medical community to examine his anus, saying, “There are some things in this life which simply must be treated with reverence.”

5 Rakugo

This Japanese comedy form of “sit‑down” storytelling is believed to have its origins with otogishu jesters employed by the samurai in the late medieval period, as well as in Buddhist preaching during the 17th and 18th centuries. As most people were illiterate back then, preachers would invent humorous stories to engage listeners as they gave oral instruction in Buddhist teachings. By the end of the 18th century, the form had solidified into a discrete form of entertainment, though it would not be referred to as rakugo until the Meiji period.

Usually, a performer would sit on his knees on a small cushion during a performance, which could last up to 20 minutes. They’d usually dress in a traditional kimono, with sometimes long, wide hakama pants and a formal haori jacket. As props, they’d use a fan (sensu) and a handkerchief or hand towel (tenugui), which could stand in for other objects like chopsticks, cigarettes, books, or banknotes as the performer acted out his performance.

Many performers learned to earn a living through rakugo, performing in storytelling rooms or in halls called yose. Narratives became established, and a tradition developed in which established rakugo performers took on apprentices, who learned the methods and techniques of the art while performing tasks and housework for their masters. One of the most famous rakugo masters was Sanyutei Encho, who began performing at the age of seven and became renowned for his humorous romantic and ghost stories in the 19th century.

Differences in dialect and form were apparent in the rakugo performed in the port city of Osaka and the capital, Edo (now Tokyo). In Osaka, storytellers used a small table and standing board, banging on the table to signify the start of a story or a scene change and often incorporating shamisen and taiko drum music. They also advertised stories weeks in advance. Edo performers were more sedate, as well as more improvisational, often not determining what stories they would tell until the performance had actually begun.

The reason for the distinction was that Edo was a samurai city, and many rakugo stories involved making fun of the samurai elite. Without knowing whether there were samurai in the audience, storytellers had to test the waters first in order to see if it was safe to get to their better material, lest they be confronted by angry samurai after the show. Osaka, on the other hand, was a merchant city. There were fewer worries about angry samurai and more concerns about attracting an audience through rowdy outdoor performances and colorful preambles to draw in onlookers.

4 Mesoamerican Humor

The Maya have a long history of humor, traditionally relying on wordplay and double entendres. In 1774, an interpreter at the Merida Holy Office was presented with a petition against the scandalous behavior of four priests. The petition itself was signed anonymously, probably due to the fact that the accusations were bawdy, ridiculous, and unlikely. It claimed that during mass, transubstantiation didn’t happen due to the priests having erections. It named the hometown of one priest’s mistress as Pencuyut (which could mean “fornicating coyote”). The petition ended with, “God willing, when the English come may they not be fornicators equal to these priests, who stop short only at carnal acts with men’s arses. God willing, let smallpox be rubbed into their penis heads. Amen.”

For the Maya, use of their native tongue to tell jokes gave license to engage in risque and scatalogical humor in cross‑gender settings, something they would usually avoid if speaking in Spanish. Ritualized humor at fiestas was also very important, allowing for critique of social issues, outsiders, and power‑holders. Some argue that the humor of both the Maya and the Nahuatl Aztecs was informed by the spirit of the trickster, combining humor with terror and creating a distinctly macabre comedy scene. Humor was linked to chaos and filth, and the Yucatec Maya word for “farce” was tah or taa, while the word for “dirt” was ta.

According to Spanish writers, ritual humor was also an important part of festivals in the Aztec empire, chiefly the festival in honor of Quetzalcoatl, in which ritual comedy proceeded in four acts. In the first, a buffoon pretending to be covered in painful boils walked around complaining and making witty comments to the audience. He was followed by four old men, two blind and two nearly blind, who would argue with each other humorously. They were then followed by a man pretending to cough and be seriously ill. The final performance involved two men dressed in realistic insect costumes, one a fly and the other a black beetle.

Other Aztec holidays featured humor, including dances performed by hunchbacks and female impersonators. Some imitated drunk or mad old women, and others used ethnic humor by mimicking the appearance and speech patterns of neighboring tribes. Most nobles of the Central Mexican Plateau employed jesters, including a class of people who were renowned for doing tricks with logs of wood using only the soles of their feet. Many such performances were the precursors of modern loa performances, which combine humorous discourse with a dramatic play about a Christian saint.

3 Hagiographical Humor

The foremost creative form of the Middle Ages was written by monks cloistered in monasteries about the lives of Christian saints, which doesn’t exactly sound like a lot of laughs. But from at least the fifth century, comedy in hagiography was quite common, a spirit which the historian Ernst Curtius called “grotesque humor within a sacred poetic genre.” As odd as it may sound, such humor was often linked with depictions of torture suffered by the saints.

In one account, Saint Lawrence is being roasted alive on a bed of burning coals and is ordered to give an offering to pagan gods. He replies, “I offer myself to the almighty God with an odor of pleasantness.” He would later tell his torturers that he was done on one side, so they had better turn him over. Such humor reduced the torturers to figures of buffoonery, while the martyrs themselves came across as superior and dominant.

One story details how three martyred women, Saints Agate, Chionia, and Irene, were saved from rape at the hands of their captor, Dulcitius: “As soon as he saw these virgins, he was excited to shameful lust, and at night he entered the house where the virgins prayed to Christ, intending to defile them. Kettles and pans had been put in there, and by the power of God he was turned away from the virgins, and he embraced the kettles and kissed the pans, so that he is all black and sooty ….”

2 Tantric Humor

The esoteric Buddhist school of Tantra has literature which contains a lot of both excessive language and humor, but it is often unclear where the line is drawn between them, as there are few boundaries that Tantric literature will not cross for its own purposes. Such Tantric teachings skirt the line between the grotesque and comical, featuring messages undermining the solemnity of established Buddhist teachings.

One early text, the Mahamayuri‑vidyarajni‑dharani, tells of a young monk named Svati, who is sent to collect firewood to heat bathwater but is bitten by a black snake. As Svati foams at the mouth, his friend, Ananda, runs to the Buddha to tell him what happened. The Buddha says he should cast the Kingly Spell of the Great Peacock and launches into a very detailed explanation of the Peacock King and the various spirits, ghosts, and demons that the spell overcomes. He then lists 60 pages’ worth of demon names, demands, and instructions, all while Svati continues to froth at the mouth, slowly dying. Despite being an ostensibly serious story, the timing, language, and absurdity brings to mind a Monty Python skit.

In a Tantra initiation ritual, a liturgy was used which sounds like an obscene parody. A naked woman would spread her legs before an initiate and ask, “Can you stand to consume my filth, my love, to eat my shit, to drink my piss, to suck the blood from my cunt?” The right answer was, “Of course, I must practice devotion to women until I realize the very essence of enlightenment.” The analysis that follows makes it clear that it is an analogy, declaring that women are the Buddha, the Order, and the Way. Exactly how straight‑faced the people involved in these ceremonies were is a mystery of history.

1 Holocaust Humor

For many Jewish victims of the Holocaust, humor served as a defense mechanism to psychologically cope with the horrors and death that confronted them. It helped to maintain mental stability, fostered social connections, reduced stress, and helped to distract by establishing a temporary sense of normality and subjectively reducing the terror being experienced. It reflected the wisdom of a Yiddish folk saying: “If your heart hurts, laugh it off.”

An Israeli study interviewed Holocaust survivors about the humor of the period, which had been a taboo subject. Some humor was self‑directed. One interviewee confessed that when she and other women had their hair forcibly shaved by the Nazis, she reacted by laughing and asking her friends who their hairdresser was. Another mentioned arriving by train at Auschwitz and straining to get a look out the window. When a friend asked her what she wanted to see so badly, she replied that she was looking out for the conductor since she didn’t have a ticket.

Humor also helped to express aggression, particularly toward the Nazis. One joke was reported as saying, “The Germans came into Warsaw and everywhere they went they would say: ‘Jews out, Germans in,’ and this is how they get to the Jewish cemetery ….”

Holocaust humor is still a point of bitter contention. Rabbi Jason Miller noted while it can be acceptable at the hands of someone like Mel Brooks or Sarah Silverman, if it is handled insensitively it can lead to serious offense. But at the time of the Holocaust itself, things were different. According to one survivor: “Look, without humor we would all have committed suicide. We made fun of everything. What I’m actually saying is that that helped us remain human, even under hard conditions.”

David Tormsen wonders if xiangsheng and flatulism can’t be combined somehow. Email him at [email protected].

When it comes to pushing the envelope of creativity, 10 artists insanely are redefining what art can be. From using office software as a canvas to employing the most intimate parts of the body as brushes, these creators turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, often leaving viewers alternating between awe and disbelief.

10 Artists Insanely Showcase Unconventional Techniques

10 Tatsuo Horiuchi Draws With Microsoft Excel

When most people hear “Microsoft Excel,” they picture rows of numbers and dull charts. Japanese artist Tatsuo Horiuchi flips that expectation on its head, turning the spreadsheet program into his personal drawing studio.

Horiuchi only discovered Excel’s artistic potential as he neared retirement, having never opened the program before. He watched coworkers craft colorful graphs and thought, “Why not use these vibrant cells to sketch?” The idea stuck, and he began crafting intricate pieces entirely within Excel’s grid.

He rejected pricey graphic software, noting that Excel came pre‑installed on Windows and was essentially free. Today, Horiuchi boasts a portfolio of astonishing Excel artworks, insisting the tool feels more intuitive to him than even Microsoft Paint.

9 Tim Patch Paints With His Penis

Australian performer Tim Patch, better known by his moniker “Pricasso,” has taken the phrase “painting with a brush” to a literal—and very literal—extreme, using his penis as the instrument.

The inspiration struck at a Christmas party, where Patch realized no one else had tried such a method. A quick internet search confirmed his hunch, and he set out to make his mark—quite literally—on the canvas world.

Initially, he dipped his member directly into acrylic paint, but the rough canvas proved uncomfortable. These days he mixes the paint with petroleum jelly, creating a smoother medium that lets his unique brush glide across the surface without irritation.

8 Martin Von Ostrowski Paints With Poop And Semen

German provocateur Martin von Ostrowski has built a reputation for using his own bodily fluids—specifically feces and semen—as pigments, producing portraits that shock and intrigue in equal measure.

His first headline‑making work was a portrait of Adolf Hitler rendered entirely from his own poop. He later tackled other historical German figures, including Friedrich the Great, Otto von Bismarck, and Kaiser Wilhelm II, each painted with the same unconventional medium.

Ostrowski’s fascination with semen began after observing an anonymous 1988 oil painting that featured ejaculatory marks. Rather than mimic the original artist’s on‑canvas act, he chose to masturbate, freeze his semen, and use it as paint. He estimates that between 2003 and 2008 he needed over 1,000 orgasms, with roughly 40 ejaculations required for a single portrait. The Berlin Gay Museum once noted that the dried semen’s scent could evoke sexual responses in viewers, but Ostrowski insists his approach is simply “organic.”

7 Milo Moire Paints With Her Vagina

Performance artist Milo Moire has taken the concept of “painting with the body” to a new level, employing her vagina as the primary tool in a practice she calls PlopEgg painting.

Moire inserts small, ink‑filled eggs into her vagina, then positions herself over a canvas and releases the eggs, which burst on impact, creating a vivid splash effect. One of her noted works, The PlopEgg Painting Performance #1—A Birth Of A Picture, showcases this striking technique.

While Moire frames the practice as a feminist statement, reactions have been mixed. Jezebel praised it as “the best advertisement you’ll ever see for Kegel exercises,” whereas The Guardian dismissed it as “silly” and labeled it a “joke,” suggesting the piece was more a desperate bid for attention than a genuine artistic statement.

6 Uwe Max Jensen Also Paints With His Penis

Danish creator Uwe Max Jensen isn’t shy about using his genitals as a painting tool, following in the footsteps of Australian artist Tim Patch.

Jensen’s most talked‑about piece recreates Kim Kardashian’s iconic “Break the Internet” photograph, where she famously displayed her bare backside. He achieved this by dipping his penis in acrylic paint and pressing it directly onto the canvas, noting that a larger organ allows for finer detail work.

In an interview with The Daily Dot, Jensen explained that the Kardashian portrait was his second penis‑based artwork; the first depicted a Danish male politician. He gifted the political portrait to a friend and sent a photo to the politician via Facebook, who promptly blocked him. Beyond his genital brushwork, Jensen has also gained notoriety for vandalizing a Little Mermaid statue and urinating into a museum water sculpture.

5 Graham Fink Draws With His Eyes

Graham Fink creates drawings solely with the movement of his eyes, guided by custom software that translates ocular motion into on‑screen lines.

Working with a programmer, Fink set up a system that shines two infrared lights into his eyes while a camera tracks their movement. The software then smooths the captured motion into visible lines on his computer, producing a drawing in real time.

This method demands intense concentration: the artist must maintain uninterrupted eye contact, as breaking the gaze would halt the portrait. Fink cannot erase any strokes, and depending on his focus, a single piece can take anywhere from five minutes to an hour to complete.

4 Ian Sklarsky Draws With A Single Line And Doesn’t Look At His Artwork

Ian Sklarsky practices blind contour drawing, a technique that forces the artist to sketch without ever looking at the paper until the piece is finished.

He’s been honing this skill since childhood, often setting up a portable station at bars and events where he creates one‑line portraits for curious onlookers. Each drawing typically takes about seven minutes, after which he may add color once he finally glances at his work.

3 Steven Spazuk Paints With Fire

While most artists keep flames at a safe distance, Steven Spazuk embraces fire as a core component of his creative process, employing the soot it generates rather than the flame itself.

This technique, known as fumage, has historical roots that trace back to early cave painters. Spazuk positions his canvas directly above a candle or blowtorch, allowing soot to rise and settle onto the paper, forming dark, spontaneous outlines.

After the soot pattern appears, he refines the image using pencils, feathers, or occasional acrylic accents, carefully balancing the distance to avoid igniting the paper while still capturing enough soot for a clear imprint.

Spazuk’s inspiration came from a vivid dream where he wandered through a gallery drenched in black‑and‑white soot after a fire. Initial experiments saw the paper burn, prompting him to switch to thicker cardboard, which finally withstood the soot‑laden environment.

The result is a haunting blend of accidental charcoal‑like markings and deliberate artistic intervention, producing pieces that feel both primal and meticulously crafted.

2 John Bramblitt Paints Despite Being Blind

John Bramblitt defied expectations by becoming a prolific painter after losing his sight at age 30 due to complications from epilepsy.

Plunged into deep depression following his blindness, Bramblitt discovered painting as a therapeutic outlet. He creates his works by feeling the contours of his own sketches, using his fingertips to trace outlines, and discerning colors by their tactile texture.

Even portraiture isn’t out of reach: Bramblitt feels a subject’s facial features, forming a mental map that guides his hand as he translates touch into vivid, colorful representations on canvas.

1 Katsu Draws With Drones And His Poop

Graffiti’s cat‑and‑mouse game just got a high‑tech upgrade thanks to Katsu, an anonymous street artist who pioneered “drone graffiti” by attaching a spray can to a DJI Phantom and soaring it onto a six‑story billboard of Kendall Jenner in Manhattan’s SoHo.

Beyond aerial vandalism, Katsu earned notoriety for a grotesque portrait of Mark Zuckerberg rendered entirely with his own feces. A fan of Thai cuisine, he deliberately consumed large meals before the act, ensuring a substantial output.

To achieve the portrait, Katsu filled a container with his excrement, using a mirror to verify the material’s flow. He then meticulously drew Zuckerberg’s likeness, treating his poop like a pencil.

Given the obvious mess, Katsu switched gloves frequently, donned a respirator, and burned incense to mask the odor. He notes that the high moisture content of feces makes it a tricky medium, prone to smearing and damaging the canvas.

When you think about the everyday world, you probably assume that certain abilities are universal—just like the way the sun reliably rises in the east, tacos always taste amazing, and roosters dutifully crow each morning. But the fact that something feels inevitable doesn’t mean it’s a rule etched in nature. History is full of examples where what seemed obvious turned out to be a misconception, much like the old belief that the Earth orbited the sun.

10 Life Forms That Defy Our Everyday Expectations

10 The T. Rex Lacked the Ability to Roar

Remember the climactic finale of the original Jurassic Park, where the massive T. rex sneaks into the visitor center, battles the velociraptors, and then lets loose an earth‑shaking roar that sends chills down our spines? That iconic sound effect has become synonymous with cinematic dinosaur terror, a testament to Spielberg’s flair for drama. Ironically, the fossil record suggests the real creature probably never produced a thunderous roar at all.

Reconstructing the anatomy of extinct giants is a tricky business, but decades of paleontological research indicate the T. rex likely lacked a true larynx—the vocal organ mammals use to generate deep, resonant calls. Without that structure, it would have been unable to emit the lion‑like bellows we associate with apex predators.

Birds, our closest living dinosaur relatives, possess a unique vocal organ called a syrinx, which lets them produce a wide array of chirps and whistles. Some scientists propose that the T. rex may have had a primitive version of this, allowing it to make bird‑like sounds rather than the low‑frequency roars popularized on screen.

That said, the massive reptilian could still have made noises—perhaps hisses comparable to modern crocodiles, low‑frequency grunts, or even rhythmic drumming with its massive jaws. While it certainly wasn’t silent, the soundtrack we hear in movies is likely far louder and more dramatic than the dinosaur’s actual vocal repertoire.

9 Cheetahs Aren’t Big Cats Because They Can’t Roar

In the animal kingdom, a resonant roar usually signals a true ‘big cat.’ Lions, tigers, jaguars and leopards all possess that deep, ground‑shaking call, which can send a clear warning through the night. This vocal power has become the hallmark of large felines, and many of us instinctively associate roaring with size and dominance.

The cheetah, despite its impressive 140‑pound frame and ability to sprint over 60 miles per hour, lacks the anatomical feature that grants other big cats their roar—a specialized ligament in the larynx that expands the vocal cords. Without this ligament, the cheetah cannot produce the deep bellow we hear from its relatives.

Because of this missing piece, scientists place cheetahs in a distinct lineage called Acinonyx, separating them from the Panthera genus that houses the roaring cats. They also sport semi‑retractable claws rather than the fully retractable ones of lions and tigers, underscoring their unique evolutionary path.

8 Earthworms Can’t Drown Very Easily

After a heavy rain you often see swarms of pale, glistening earthworms dotting sidewalks, and many of us assume they’re scrambling to escape a flooded underground world. The common belief is that rain forces them to the surface because water would otherwise drown them.

In reality, earthworms draw oxygen directly through their moist skin, and they can remain fully submerged for several days without harm. Their skin must stay damp to facilitate gas exchange, so a sudden downpour actually creates a perfectly breathable environment for them.

Surfacing during rain therefore gives worms a shortcut: the saturated soil lets them travel much more quickly than they could by burrowing through dry earth. By moving on the surface, they can cover ground at a faster pace while staying comfortably moist.

Another theory suggests that the rhythmic patter of raindrops may mimic the vibrations of a predator, prompting worms to flee upward as a defensive response. Either way, the notion that rain drowns them is a myth; they simply seize the opportunity to move.

7 Baby Pandas Cannot Poop Without Help

Pandas have become internet darlings, starring in countless goofy videos that make them seem like clumsy, cartoonish creatures. Yet behind the adorable façade lies a surprisingly fragile start of life; newborn panda cubs are essentially blind, immobile, and utterly dependent on their mothers.

At just one‑nine‑hundredth the size of an adult, a newborn panda cannot locate food, move on its own, or even manage basic bodily functions. Without maternal assistance, these tiny cubs risk fatal constipation, a condition that could quickly become deadly.

Mother pandas address this by frequently licking the young’s hindquarters—not for grooming, but to trigger the reflex that prompts the cub to defecate. During the first crucial week, the mother stays in constant contact, gently rubbing the cub’s belly to ensure it can relieve itself when needed.

6 Reindeer Can’t Walk and Pee

You’ve probably heard the old saying about not being able to walk and chew gum simultaneously, but nature has its own version of multitasking limits. Reindeer, for instance, are unable to stride and urinate at the same moment, requiring a brief pause before they can continue their trek.

Finnish herders even coined a term for the distance a reindeer travels between bathroom breaks: a ‘poronkusema,’ roughly six miles. Herds typically move together, pause to relieve themselves, then resume another six‑mile stretch before the next stop.

5 Birds Are Unaffected by Capsaicin

If you’ve ever watched the viral Hot Ones series, you know the fiery punch of capsaicin—the chemical that makes chilies feel like a mouth‑on‑fire experience. While humans cringe at the burn, birds seem blissfully immune, munching on spicy peppers without flinching.

The secret lies in avian taste anatomy: a chicken, for example, possesses only about 24 taste buds compared to the 2,000‑10,000 found in humans. Research indicates birds either lack functional capsaicin receptors or have them so dull that the heat never registers, allowing them to swallow pepper seeds and spread them far and wide.

4 Velociraptors Lacked Higher Intelligence

Hollywood has turned velociraptors into the ultimate cunning hunters—pack‑living, hyper‑intelligent, and ready to outwit any hero. While Jurassic Park painted them as the dinosaur equivalent of a mastermind, the scientific picture is a bit more modest.

Based on the volume of the cranial cavity, velociraptors likely had brains larger than those of rabbits but still far smaller than modern cats. This places them in the middle tier of dinosaur intelligence—smart for their lineage, but not the genius many fans imagine.

Adding to the myth, the movie’s raptors were actually modeled after the much larger Utahraptor. True velociraptors were about the size of a turkey, sporting a sleek build and a brain that, while capable, fell short of the cat‑like cleverness often attributed to them.

3 The Domestic Silk Moth No Longer Has the Ability to Fly

Silk production has been a cornerstone of human industry for millennia, and the humble domestic silk moth has been at the heart of that trade. Trillions of these insects are cultivated worldwide, making them the second most farmed animal after honeybees.

Through generations of selective breeding, the domestic silk moth has lost its ability to take to the air. The moths are raised in controlled environments where they never need to escape, and over time the genetic traits required for flight have been bred out, leaving today’s silk moth grounded for good.

2 Cats Can’t Taste Sweetness

Cats have a reputation for being particular eaters—some will turn their noses up at premium kibble while others will happily lap up a spoonful of ice cream. Yet despite their occasional indulgences, felines lack a fundamental taste sense that most mammals enjoy: sweetness.

The inability stems from a missing gene called Tas1r2, which partners with another gene to create the sweet‑taste receptors on our tongues. Cats never evolved this genetic pair, so even if a sugary treat sits in front of them, their taste buds simply don’t register the sugary flavor.

Some studies suggest that a related gene, Tas1r3, might allow cats to detect very high concentrations of sugar, or perhaps they’re drawn to the fat and protein content instead. Regardless, the classic ‘sweet tooth’ is not a feline trait.

1 Not Everyone Has an Inner Monologue

It’s easy to assume that everyone experiences thoughts as an internal voice, narrating each decision like a private radio broadcast. In reality, the way we process information varies widely, and not everyone “hears” their own words when they think.

Research estimates that somewhere between 30 % and 50 % of people rely primarily on an inner monologue, hearing sentences in their mind’s ear. Others think more visually, conjuring vivid mental images without any spoken narration—a style that also isn’t universal.

Beyond verbal and visual modes, humans also use sensory, emotional, and even instinctual pathways to make sense of the world. Most of us blend several of these approaches throughout the day, meaning an inner monologue is just one of many possible thinking styles.

Self-defense is big business. You could learn boxing, jiu-jitsu, krav maga and dozens of other fighting styles. You can also invest in tools that range from telescoping batons to tasers to high-powered rifles. If you want to defend yourself, the sky’s the limit. Animals, on the other hand, have far less at their disposal. Most rely on their ability to flee or hide and those that fight typically just use teeth and claws. But every so often an animal comes up with a really novel way to protect itself.

10. Exploding Ants Blow Up On Enemies

No one can tell you exactly how many ants there are in the world and for good reason – how would anyone ever know? Even estimates can be pretty wild, but some guess around 100 trillion. Fire ants have painful stings and bullet ants are legendary for the paint that their bites cause. But even among ants, you have to hand it to exploding ants when it comes to self defense. Their name makes it pretty clear these little things are on a whole new level. 

Found in the trees of Borneo, these ants react to threats in the most dramatic way imaginable. Known as Colobopsis explodens, the ants are able to rupture their own bodies by flexing them so hard they burst in a process that not only kills them but covers their attack in a sticky and toxic mixture of internal fluids. The process will either kill or disable the attacker.

9. Sea Cucumbers Shoot Their Guts at Enemies

Sometimes the best defense is a good offense. And the best offense is to be incredibly disgusting. Enter the sea cucumber and its gut regurgitation method of defense that may not be physically damaging but, if nothing else, is psychologically traumatizing to would-be attackers.

Though some species do vaguely resemble cucumbers, sea cucumbers are classified as echinoderms. They are invertebrates, which means they don’t have a spinal column like shellfish, worms, jellyfish and so on. What they do have is a digestive system and, when threatened, they can force it right out of their bodies at predators.  

A shark is able to puke its own stomach out as a way of cleaning it and then swallow it again, but that’s not how a sea cucumber works. Once those guts come out, they stay out. The animal is then able to just grow new ones. It takes a couple of weeks, but it beats being eaten. 

8. Bees Cook Wasps Or Resort to Poop

Most of us don’t need to be told how a bee defends itself. Bee stings are fairly well known and they’re the reason most of us don’t go stealing honey from hives like we’re bears in the woods. Less well known is what a bee has to do when its sting is not sufficient to take out an enemy.

Giant Asian Wasps have become an infamous species over the last decade or two thanks to the internet and its fascination with unusual life forms. These giant, terrifying insects are known to attack beehives, and just a few can destroy everything. They literally cut bees apart with their mandibles and the bee’s sting is unable to pierce the wasp’s exoskeleton. So how does a hive react when the wasps attack? They form a super hot sphere of bee power and cook their attacker to death.

The bees will swarm on the deadly wasps en masse. Though the wasp will kill many individuals, the hive may be able to survive as the group all work together to beat their wings and generate heat from the effort. They can raise the temperature of a wasp to as much as 47 degrees Celsius, which kills it. Amazingly, the bees are able to properly regulate this temperature so that it’s hot enough to kill a wasp, but not themselves, which could happen if things were just a few degrees warmer.

Some species of wasps have learned to avoid these heat balls by picking off drones outside of the hive until there are no bees left to defend it. But the bees have also adapted to this. Beekeepers have observed honey bees gathering buffalo dung. They place it around the entrance to the hive, something that they would normally never do. Dung is often dangerous thanks to pathogens, and it effectively keeps wasps away. Even when wasps do try to attack a dung-defended hive, they spend 94% less time doing so. 

7. Vultures Projectile Vomit When Threatened

Vultures are considered by many to be rather ugly birds with their bald heads and hooked beaks. They also seem rather objectionable when it comes to their habits, since they feed on carrion and can most often be seen neck deep in a rotten carcass. They also slather themselves in their own waste to keep cool. Their highly acidic urine will lower their temperature as it evaporates and also kills bacteria.  It probably comes as no surprise that their chief method of self defense is also extremely unpleasant.

When threatened, a vulture will force itself to vomit. That’s pretty awful in and of itself. But remember that they eat already rotten meat, so when it vomits it’s throwing up the most vile filth you can imagine. Not only is it going to look gross and smell gross, it’s laden with the bird’s extremely volatile digestive juices which are so potent they can burn. 

This spray of vomit is also projectile and can travel upwards of 10 feet. And while all of that makes it seem like these birds are wretched in every way, remember that they provide a valuable service by cleaning up all that carrion and we’d likely have far more disease and bacteria being spread around if it weren’t for them. 

6. Crested Rats Slather Themselves in Poison 

Humans are renowned for using ingenuity to get a job done, and there are a handful of animals that demonstrate similar talents. Monkeys use tools, coyotes and badgers hunt together, there are a lot of ways to reach a goal. When it comes to African crested rats, they go above and beyond to defend themselves from predators by engaging in chemical warfare.

The rats have been observed chewing on the poisonous bark of certain trees. Once they work up a nice mouthful of toxic spit, they wipe it on their fur, effectively giving themselves a poisonous shield. Similar behavior does exist elsewhere in nature. There are species of toxic toads that get their toxins from the insects they eat, but this is the only mammal known to engage in such behavior. 

Initially, the rats were thought to make their poison until one single rat was observed chewing the bark and wiping the toxins on itself. Researchers then captured some to house them under constant surveillance, and many of them were observed engaging in the same behavior, though exactly why the rat itself is immune is not entirely understood. It may be thanks to their four-chambered stomach full of dense bacteria, but it’s not conclusive. 

5. Spanish Ribbed Newts Force Their Ribs Out and Coat Them in Poison

The Spanish ribbed newt has bug eyes and grows to about 9 inches in length. They look a little cartoonish in real life and aren’t very intimidating, but perhaps that’s just a plot. When it comes to self defense, few creatures go as hard as the ribbed newt. When threatened, the newt is able to freeze and rotate its own ribs inside its body from 27 to 92 degrees relative to its spinal axis. The ribs push right out of the newt’s skin through fleshy warts and are then coated with a poisonous secretion.

In pop culture terms, the newt is like Wolverine if he also poisoned his claws. There is no permanent hole that allows the ribs to protrude. The newt has to pierce its own flesh each and every time it uses the defense. 

4. Blanket Octopuses Rip the Poisonous Arms of Portuguese Man O’Wars

The ocean is full of strange and terrifying creatures more than capable of defending themselves in a variety of ways. From the claws of a crab to the jaws of a shark, you don’t want to tangle with too many beasts of the deep blue sea. Some of the most formidable creatures rely on a bevy of debilitating and deadly toxins that can stop a predator, including a human, with remarkable speed and efficiency.

The blanket octopus has developed a backdoor to its down defenses. Unlike the deadly blue-ringed octopus, a blanket octopus doesn’t produce potent venom. Instead, they will steal weapons from the Portuguese man o’war. 

The man o’war, often mistaken for a jellyfish though it’s actually a siphonophore, has dangerous, stinging tentacles. They’re not usually deadly to humans, but they can cause blisters and welts and are powerful enough to kill small fish. Blanket octopuses are immune, however. They’ll rip the tentacles right off the man o’war and then wield them like toxic whips either to attack or defend themselves.

3. Hoopoe Birds Use Filth as a Defense

Many birds have a pretty decent cache of defensive skills available, chief among them the ability to just fly away. Some birds are also equipped with dangerously powerful beaks and talons as well. But what of the smaller, more delicate ones? What happens when they face danger?

The Eurasian Hoopoe grows to be maybe a foot long and weighs less than a deck of cards. These are not fearsome creatures. So to stay ahead of predators, they’ll smear their own eggs with secretions that smell rotten, and poop all over their own nests. 

Females coat themselves in the secretion, which comes from a gland below the tail. Despite the smell, it’s antimicrobial and makes her feathers more waterproof and flexible. Within six days of hatching, babies are able to fire projectile feces at predators in their own defense as well.  

2. Numerous Kinds of Larvae Make Poop Shields

Turtles, armadillos and shellfish have a good defensive advantage in life thanks to their armor. Other creatures aren’t so blessed genetically, so they have to get creative. Take the tortoise beetle, for instance, which creates a shield out of its own feces to protect it from attackers. 

Many other species of beetle do the same thing in larval form as a means of protection before they grow their own tough carapace. The strategy is oddly ingenious, as it uses a resource that the beetle never runs short of and it’s something very few predators want to get near. The tortoise beetle can even move their shield and attack would-be predators with it like a weapon. 

1. Bombardier Beetles Shoot Boiling Chemicals 

Bugs are generally disliked by most people and the fact that many bite or sting is a big part of that. But a bug that eschews such pedestrian attacks in favor of literally shooting you with scalding hot chemicals is its own special kind of terrifying.

Bombardier beetles are less than an inch long, possibly the only saving grace for these powerhouses. When threatened, a chemical reaction occurs in their abdomen. Hydrogen peroxide mixes with hydroquinone. The beetle has a little nozzle on its backside that it can aim with amazing accuracy to fire at a predator. And you don’t want to be on the receiving end of that blast.

The two chemicals together can irritate the eyes and respiratory system. Worse, the reaction creates heat, so not only is it an irritant, it comes out literally boiling hot at 100 degrees Celsius. The beetle has enough chemicals to fire this 20 times.

Everything comes from somewhere. It’s a statement so preposterously obvious it’s rarely worth even making. And yet the implications of it are rarely explored. Where do you come from? Finding the precise time and place that humans began is no easy feat, and it’s the same for most life forms. But there are some things we can trace back with a fair degree of accuracy, often with surprising results.

10. Modern Cattle Can Be Traced Back to One Herd About 11,000 Years Ago

The average American eats 55lbs of beef per year, so there’s a lot of love for cow meat there. Our ancient ancestors never had that pleasure because, while there were herds of animals like aurochs back in the day, the modern cow as we know it never existed in the wild. We can actually trace our current world-wide cattle family back to a herd of 81 female animals that were bred nearly 11,000 years ago.

Researchers from across Europe analyze DNA samples from living cattle as well as from DNA extracted from bones taken from archaeological sites that date back to the beginning of farming as we know it. The differences in genetics seen in modern cattle could only exist if the original herd was limited to a size of about 80 animals which descended from the ancient aurochs which was kind of similar to a modern cow, but not exactly the same thing and certainly much bigger and wilder.

9. Domesticated Hamsters All Trace Back to One Pair in Syria

A lot of attention is paid to the domestication of both cats and dogs, the two most common house pets in the world. Most of us know that dogs were domesticated long ago from wolves, and cats seem to have domesticated themselves alongside mankind as an almost strategic move that ensured food and shelter. But humans do keep a lot of other animals as pets, like hamsters for instance. 

A wild hamster is probably not something most of us have ever come across, but they do exist and the modern domesticated hamster can be traced back to a specific breeding pair from Syria. Their story is a curious and remarkable one.

Jewish biologist Israel Aharoni had made it his mission to identify the animals listed in the Torah. The problem was that the animals didn’t have names, just very vague descriptions. And one animal that he had a special interest in had a name that translated to English as “Mr. Saddlebags.” The only description of it stated it was golden. Not much to go on. 

In 1930, Aharoni traveled to Syria and hired a hunter. They traveled the countryside looking for clues and then, on a farm, dug a hole and discovered a nest of small, golden animals. He had discovered hamsters. Mr. Saddlebags. 

Aharoni took the hamsters, and things quickly spiraled out of control. The mother ate several babies. A handful more escaped and were never found. But one pair of siblings bred, as hamsters tend to do. They became the Adam and Eve of the modern hamster world. That pair had 150 babies. They were transported to labs around the world and continued to breed. Today if you see a hamster in a pet store anywhere in the world, it’s almost guaranteed to be a descendent of that breeding pair.

8. White Mushrooms Can Be Traced to a Pennsylvania Farm in 1925

If you go to the grocery store looking for mushrooms right now, you will probably have a small handful of options, depending on how much variety your store has. But if they sell fresh mushrooms at all, then they’re going to be those white mushrooms sometimes called table or button mushrooms. They’re probably the most common type in the Western world and they can all be traced back to a single Pennsylvania farm in the year 1925.

Prior to 1925 mushrooms were chiefly brown. Your local store may sell brown cremini mushrooms next to white button mushrooms today and they look identical except for the color. That’s because they basically are. 

Louis Ferdinand Lambert was growing brown mushrooms at Keystone Mushroom Farm when he discovered a white one in the mix. It was a mutation, just a random chance. But he was an amateur mushroom scientist in the making, so he took that one back to his lab and cultivated the spores. 

The white mushrooms grew faster and were more uniform in shape and size. By 1933 it was the leading mushroom crop in the country and soon tens of millions of pounds were being produced each year. Customers were more attracted to the color and shape and it’s still the most popular mushroom today, all thanks to one little mutant in 1925.

7. 200 Million Rabbits in Australia Came From Just a Handful in the 1800s.

Australia is home to a wild rabbit population of around 200 million. Is that a lot of rabbits for a country the size of Australia? Definitely, when you consider it’s supposed to have none. As one of the many invasive species that has caused problems down under, rabbits were never meant to be there in the first place. Those 200 million all come from a handful that were released in the year 1859.

Though the animals had been on the continent as early as 1788, it’s believed that either 13 or 24 of them were let loose in 1859 from the farm of settler Thomas Austin. He had let the animals run in his yard and may have set them free for hunting. Obviously he didn’t manage to hunt them all. 

Australians have been fighting the losing battle against rabbits ever since. In the late 1800s they were killing two million per year and getting nowhere. Most famously they tried to erect a rabbit-proof fence across the entire country which is effective against larger animals but did not work on the rabbits. They were already on the far side of the fence before construction was finished.

6. Golden Retrievers Come From Two Dogs Named Nous and Belle

According to the American Kennel Club, the Golden Retriever was the third most popular dog breed in America in 2021. It’s consistently in the top ten breeds, in fact. They’re loveable and a bit goofy and they seem to make good family dogs. The entire breed can also be traced back to two specific dogs named Nous and Belle in the year 1868.

A Scotsman named Sir Dudley Courts Marjoribanks was the owner of the first of the breed, the dog named Nous who was said to be a yellow retriever of some kind. The original story was that Nous was a Russian circus dog but there’s no evidence of that being true. The real story seems to be that he was just out walking one day, saw the dog, and bought it off a cobbler.

Sir Dudley, as a breeder, kept detailed breeding logs. The records are still available today which show that he bred the dog with another named Belle, a Tweed Water Spaniel, in 1868 and they had a litter of four puppies. The resulting mix of Retriever and Water Spaniel made a light-coated sporting dog that clearly struck a chord with people. 

5. South Dakota’s Mountain Goats Come From Six Escaped Canadian Goats

Mountain goats, more properly known as Rocky Mountain Goats, can be found across Western Canada and the United States. Their population estimate is somewhere between 75,000 and 100,000. The ones found in the Black Hills can all be traced back to six goats from Canada. They were gifted to Custer State Park back in 1924 but goats being goats; they were not content to stay in their pens.

The six goats escaped and made their way into the wild where they took up residence in the granite mountains. That number is up over 200 today with no sign of slowing down any time soon. 

4. A Majority of Macadamia Trees Can Be Traced to One Australian Tree

Hawaii is famous for a lot of things from beautiful beaches to the luau. Macadamia nuts are also huge in the state with 40 million pounds being produced in 2019. While the bulk of macadamia nuts in the world come from Australia and South Africa, their origins are not so diverse. Seventy percent of all the macadamia nuts in the world can be traced to one single tree in Australia. 

Biodiversity in plants is a big deal. The lack of diversity in bananas cause an entire strain of them to die out once already, so this field is of great interest to scientists. When trying to trace the origins of macadamia trees they tested samples from farmed trees in Hawaii and wild ones in Australia and found they all linked back to a very small population on a private island called Moloo. The genetic differences between trees was so small that they believe they all probably descended from the same individual tree. 

3. Most Thoroughbreds Can Be Traced to the Darley Arabian

When a horse proves itself on the racetrack, it often gets retired to life as a stud where breeders try to continue and improve upon his genetic line. No horse seems to have done a better job of that than the Darley Arabian.

There are 500,000 Thoroughbred horses in the world. Thoroughbred, which is sometimes used as a synonym for “purebred,” is more properly a distinctive breed of race horse. These are typically considered the best racehorses in the world and nearly all half million can trace their lineage back to 28 specific horses. And among those, 95% of all males can be traced to one specific stallion – the Darley Arabian. 

Thomas Darley was said to have purchased, or maybe stolen, the colt from a sheik in Syria. The horse’s name was Manak or Manica. Many famous horses were sired by the Arabian back in England and it’s said the horse lived to be 30, which is a pretty advanced age for a horse. 

2. Almost 150,000 Faroese People Are All Descended From One Guy

The Faroe Islands are located in the North Atlantic Ocean near Iceland. There are about 158,000 people who live or have lived there and a stunning 149,000 of them can all trace their lineage back to the same man. The family reunions must be epic.

The prolific ancestor of most of the Faroese Islanders is known as Clemen Laugesen Follerup. Back in the 17th century he had 23 children. That turned into 66 grandchildren in 27 villages. 

Back in 2006, the people of the island were registered in something called the Genetic BioBank, a sort of national registry of genetics for the Faroese people. The computer program kept reading errors because everyone it registered turned out to be a cousin of everyone else. 

1. Blue Eyed People Can Be Traced to One Ancestor

Blue eyes are the second most common eye color in the world, though only about 10% of people have them. The color itself is a genetic mutation and scientists have traced it all the way back to a single common ancestor that lived between 6,000 and 10,000 years. Back then there were only brown eyed people. Mutation in a specific gene that governs eye color occurred in one individual and was passed down through the generations to the 10% of blue eyed people who exist today. 

The gene mutation worked in a way that switched off the brown allele for the affected individual and their ancestors. Basically, the option for brown eyes was removed because the body’s ability to produce melanin is reduced due to the mutation. That means brown eyes can’t fully form and you get blue eyes instead. There’s no genetic advantage to the mutation, but there’s no disadvantage either, and it seems to be one of those random chance things that pops up in nature.