In order to have a tongue relative in length to that of the tube-lipped nectar bat (Anoura fistulata), the base of a human being’s tongue would have to be stored in the rib cage.

That’s what the nectar bat does.

Scientists, who recently discovered the bat in the cloud forest of the Andes of Ecuador also discovered its tongue is one and a half times its body length. That’s longer than any other mammal, twice as long as any other bat, and second only to chameleons among vertebrates.

They suggest the record-breaking tongue evolved to feed on a flower where the nectar is hidden at the end of equally long funnels, which also gives the nectar bat sole pollinating rights to the flower.

Muchhala suspects the bell-shaped flower and this nectar bat co-evolved, or influenced each other and evolved side-by-side.

To confirm, he plans to measure snout length of tube-lipped nectar bats in different areas. If the bats have shorter tongues in areas where the local flowers have diminutive tubes and longer tongues with lengthier flowers, the finding would support co-evolution.

Interesting concept, co-evolution. I guess we can think of similar desirable attributes in other species. Other body parts.

Just not possible to publish in a family-oriented blog.