For example, theres this sea slug that I found out eats algae, which is normally exactly what you think is usual for an underwater marine animal, but guess what?
IT USES THE CHLOROPLASTS FROM THE ALGAE AND THEN GAINS THE ABILITY TO USE PHOTOSYNTHESIS AS A SLUG VIA ABSORBING PLANTS
White-Throated Sparrows functionally have four sexes. They have tan-stripe male, white-stripe male, tan-stripe female, and white-stripe female. The white-striped sexes are promiscuous, defensive over their territory, and good singers, while tan-stripe sexes are loyal, quiet, and good parents. Broods with white-white or tan-tan parents tend to fail.
The mutation that causes white-stripe forms creates a portion of chromosome that can’t swap genetic material with unmutated genes, which keeps the forms from blending back together. The mutation is also passed on about 50% of the time. Because of that, the white-tan divide can function as a sex divide.
This is actually super weird because while fish, amphibians, and reptiles love to get weird with reproduction, birds and mammals are pretty vanilla about it. I find the fact that a rather derived bird (which are highly derived themselves!) found a way to get funky about sex super cool.
Can you tell I’m passionate about birds?
Its always great to be passionate about nature and its incredible biodiversity!