The biggest question: Do animals have a language?

London, Jan 29 (IANS) The most puzzling natural mystery people want solved is whether animals have their own language, according to a poll.

Asked to choose from 10 unanswered questions about the natural world, a third (31 percent) of British people said whether animals use language was one of the issues they most wanted answered, the Daily Mail reported.

The second most burning question was how the dinosaurs died out, with 29 percent of the 2,000 people polled putting that query.

More than a fifth (22 percent) wanted to know why cats purr.

The poll was for the launch of new TV show by David Attenborough, “Natural Curiosities”, on a British channel.

It also revealed some of the most commonly believed myths about nature.

Almost half those polled (47 percent) believed female Praying Mantis eat the males after sex, although research has found that only happened once in 69 experiments.

Another 37 percent thought camels store water in their humps, rather than storing fat to provide energy.

IANS 2013-01-29 20:10:05