Unicorns may be mythical creatures, but they're very plausible-seeming ones. So why hasn't evolution gifted us with magical horses with horns? Let's take a look at the genetics and developmental biology of headgear in ruminants and other mammals.
Hosted by: Reid Reimers
----------
Support SciShow by becoming a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scishow
----------
Huge thanks go to the following Patreon supporters for helping us keep SciShow free for everyone forever: Adam Brainard, Alex Hackman, Ash, Benjamin Carleski, Bryan Cloer, charles george, Chris Mackey, Chris Peters, Christoph Schwanke, Christopher R Boucher, DrakoEsper, Eric Jensen, Friso, Garrett Galloway, Harrison Mills, J. Copen, Jaap Westera, Jason A Saslow, Jeffrey Mckishen, Jeremy Mattern, Kenny Wilson, Kevin Bealer, Kevin Knupp, Lyndsay Brown, Matt Curls, Michelle Dove, Piya Shedden, Rizwan Kassim, Sam Lutfi
----------
Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet?
SciShow Tangents Podcast: https://scishow-tangents.simplecast.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scishow
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scishow
Instagram: http://instagram.com/thescishow
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scishow
#SciShow #science #education #learning #complexly
----------
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3151718/
http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/index.php?s=1&act=pdfviewer&id=1455184154&folder=145
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6822923/
https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/mammals/narwhal/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/cetartiodactyla
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/biological-reviews/article/abs/complete-phylogeny-of-the-whales-dolphins-and-eventoed-hoofed-mammals-cetartiodactyla/2F73404B975F62DD3895B06055965C3B
https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1890/06-0624.1
https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/unicorn-of-the-sea-narwhal-facts
https://www.jstor.org/stable/15954
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0904691106
https://www.jstor.org/stable/24926338
https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.aav6335#sec-1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547700/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/biomineralization
https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/hox-genes-in-development-the-hox-code-41402/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4870114/
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna25097986
https://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/pdf_files/125/1252311921.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6123789/
https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.aav6335
Images
https://www.gettyimages.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicorn#/media/File:Oftheunicorn.jpg