# Traits, structures, or behaviors unique to a single species **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 24, 2022, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028 "2022-02-24T03:22:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![brossa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brossa/32/3040_2.png) [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/1 "2022-02-24T03:22:10Z")
There are quite a few traits and behaviors that are unique to humans - writing comes to mind. It seems to me that this is different from human _language_, which is arguably (or not!) different from other animal acoustic communication only in degree of complexity. The same could be said for human tool use - different in extent only. Anyway, that’s just background. What I’m interested in are traits, or structures, or behaviors, that are found in only a single multicellular species, without analogs elsewhere, even among other species in the same family. As a negative example, I thought that koalas were the only mammals to eat eucalyptus leaves, but a quick Google showed that ringtail possums and ‘greater gliders’ do as well. I suppose it would be easiest to start looking at species that are the only surviving member of their family. Be that as it may, is there anything that springs to mind? ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/2 "2022-02-24T05:43:58Z")
Honeybees do a fairly complex dance to indicate to others where the latest patch of nectar is to be found. I’m not aware that any other insects do the same thing, although it can be argued that some humans use dancing to bring others to their honeypot. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/3 "2022-02-24T05:50:21Z")
The trouble with this is there are several species of honey bees. I think about 8. And AFAIK all of them “dance”. I think it’s going to be very hard to find something that one species does and no others do except almost only mate with that species – but that’s essentially the definition of a species. ---
**Author:** ![jjakucyk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3d9bf3/32.png) [@jjakucyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjakucyk)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/4 "2022-02-24T14:24:54Z")
Human intelligence is often cited as our greatest evolutionary advantage. Tool use is an outgrowth of that trait. It’s true that this isn’t unique to our species, it’s more a matter of degree. Physically, we’re also fantastic endurance athletes, especially when it comes to running. Again though, while we’re notable for that, we’re certainly not unique. An oft-forgotten physical trait however is our fast precision throwing ability. While there’s definitely species that can throw things, can any of them actually hit a target with reasonable speed, accuracy, and repeatability? ---
**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/5 "2022-02-24T14:39:30Z")
> [@md-2000](#): > > Honeybees do a fairly complex dance to indicate to others where the latest patch of nectar is to be found. I’m not aware that any other insects do the same thing, although it can be argued that some humans use dancing to bring others to their honeypot. Not quite the same thing, but [Honeyguide birds](https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-document-wild-birds-communicating-with-african-tribespeople-to-help-them-find-honey) also communicate in order to lead others to hidden beehives. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/6 "2022-02-24T17:10:22Z")
The planthopper insect, _Issus coleoptratus_, has the only mechanical gears found in nature- used to coordinate the jumping action of its legs: > **[This Insect Has The Only Mechanical Gears Ever Found in Nature](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-insect-has-the-only-mechanical-gears-ever-found-in-nature-6480908/)** > > The small hopping insect Issus coleoptratus uses toothed gears on its joints to precisely synchronize the kicks of its hind legs as it jumps forward ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/7 "2022-02-24T17:20:38Z")
Humans are the only species that pays to live on Earth. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/8 "2022-02-24T17:46:17Z")
“If an eel climbs a ramp to take squid from a clamp, that’s a moray.” This sounds like a joke, but isn’t. It was the lede on an article in the Science Times a couple months ago about how a moray eel had climbed out of the water, wriggled up a ramp somehow to grab a squid that had been clamped to the top of the ramp. That behavior had never been observed before. Looking for examples, I googled fireflies and bower birds and discovered that both of them covered entire families, so they’re not examples of single species. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/9 "2022-02-24T22:01:40Z")
Are beavers the only animals(well aside from humans) that build dams large enough to stop streams and rivers? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/10 "2022-02-24T22:16:40Z")
The panda’s thumb is not homologous to the primate thumb, and is found only in pandas. Oddly, though, it’s found in both giant pandas (a kind of bear) and in red pandas (akin to raccoons). The most recent common ancestor of both wouldn’t have had the trait, and is also an ancestor of all other bears and raccoons. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/11 "2022-02-24T22:29:22Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > The trouble with this is there are several species of honey bees. I think about 8. And AFAIK all of them “dance”. I think it’s going to be very hard to find something that one species does and no others do **except almost only mate with that species** – but that’s essentially the definition of a species. Isn’t the problem with African Killer Bees essentially that they are mating with local (European?) honeybees an so migrating north? Isn’t that sort of questioning what makes the distinction between one species and another? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/12 "2022-02-24T22:40:04Z")
Yup. All categories in the real world are fuzzy. Neatly-defined distinct categories are a feature of how the human mind works, not a feature of reality. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/13 "2022-02-24T22:43:33Z")
Vampire bats drink blood, are very small, and starve if they don’t eat at least every three days. It is not easy to bite a big animal and lick their blood undetected, that is a risky way to feed. They live in small colonies, often in hollow trees. They regurgitate some of the blood they have in their stomachs to feed other bats that have not been lucky in the last day or two, allowing them to survive another day and, perhaps, reprocicate. And they remember: when some bat was altruistic with them, they share more willingly than they do with strangers or with non-coöperators. They seem to form something akin to friendship bonds. Or not, if the other bat has been a jerk in the past. > **[Vampire Bats Form Bonds By Regurgitating Blood Into Each Other's Mouths](https://www.newsweek.com/vampire-bats-bonds-blood-mouths-1493392)** > > These long-term cooperative relationships between unrelated bats appear to be similar in form and function to human friendships. Throwing with good aim was a good example, **jjakucyk**! But some chimpanzees are learning and try hard to hit us. We deserve it, probably: > **[Planning of the Apes: Zoo Chimp Plots Rock Attacks on Visitors](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/chimpanzee-plans-throws-stones-zoo/)** > > A canny primate shows that humans are not the only animals who scheme ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2022, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/14 "2022-02-24T22:48:34Z")
I would have thought that the platypus would be a good candidate to have unique traits, but the only thing that I can find that is truly unique (per Wikipedia) are three of the proteins in their venom. > [@jjakucyk](#): > > Human intelligence is often cited as our greatest evolutionary advantage. I doubt this more and more as the years go by… ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2022, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/15 "2022-02-25T12:15:12Z")
Seems likely that we’re the only animal that creates and appreciates art. There’s a kind of bird that builds an intricate egg-shaped nest. I think it hangs from a tree or is built on the ground rather than resting on a branch. It looks like art, but IMO is too closely related to survival to qualify. I used to think playing was exclusive to humans, and then I saw that video of a crow that repeatedly slides down an icy ramp, apparently just for fun. Yeah, I know it proves nothing. I’ve played with dogs and cats and maybe other animals, but that crow is what convinced me, probably because I can’t imagine a bird smiling. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2022, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/16 "2022-02-25T12:32:39Z")
How about the narwhal, with it’s single tusk, which is actually a tooth? I don’t think there is any other whale with such a feature. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2022, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/17 "2022-02-25T12:43:07Z")
Nine-banded armadillos nearly always give birth to identical quadruplets. I’m not aware of another species that does this. (I used to care for armadillos in a research facility.) ---
**Author:** ![brossa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brossa/32/3040_2.png) [@brossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brossa)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2022, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/18 "2022-02-26T17:30:17Z")
Thanks for these examples! ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/19 "2022-02-27T08:18:02Z")
> [@alovem](#): > > There’s a kind of bird that builds an intricate egg-shaped nest. I think it hangs from a tree or is built on the ground rather than resting on a branch. It looks like art, but IMO is too closely related to survival to qualify. If you’re talking about weaver birds, they’re not just one species. [![](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/21/c2/59/21c259ee7ff6f40ec61ab445b23eef3f.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/21/c2/59/21c259ee7ff6f40ec61ab445b23eef3f.jpg) The bower birds mentioned earlier in the thread, however, [are very much into art appreciation](http://www.stancsmith.com/blog/awesome-animal-the-bowerbird). ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2022, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028/20 "2022-02-27T08:48:02Z")
Hey, thanks for posting that. I wasn’t thinking of weavers, but some of those bowerbird nests look like what I saw on some TV documentary. The egg-shaped feature I misremembered isn’t the nest but the hole running through the bower, as seen in the last image in your link. Okay, there are several kinds of bowerbirds, so not a single species and therefore not relevant to the OP. Like I said, I don’t consider that art. Mating opportunities are often a driving force of artistic creation but are not at its essence, IMO. A job can be done with tremendous flair and panache, but it’s still just doing a job. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traits-structures-or-behaviors-unique-to-a-single-species/960028.md?page=2)