Coevolution helps Santa’s reindeer feast after flight

A brand new examine means that it is not Rudolph’s crimson nostril that helps reindeer discover meals throughout snowy Arctic winters, however as a substitute a novel adaptation of their eyes to their favourite meals. Reindeer might have developed their distinctive potential to see within the ultraviolet spectrum to allow them to extra simply spot their main meals, the algae-fungus fusion referred to as lichens — which take up UV — within the winter panorama. The findings assist clarify the long-standing scientific thriller as to why reindeer — together with Rudolph and his fellow airborne ungulates from the basic story — can see in UV.