I am thumbing through a variety of books this evening.
One that I am perusing is The Trail Guide to the Body. It is filled with interesting tidbits such as these.
Muscles of the Tongue
These are two groups of muscles that coordinate the tongue: the glossus muscles and the intrinsic muscles. The three glossus muscles attach to the hyoid and other bones and move the tongue during swallowing and chewing. Three other intrinsic muscles of the tongue interweave with each other and are responsible for changing the tongue's shape during speech. As the tongue is basically a bag of fluid with a constant volume, these intrinsic muscles mold and twist it in the same way you might bend and shape a water balloon.
Wow, Amazing are WE!!
And then there are the Ears!
Humans have only four muscles with which to move the ears. These muscles tend to be weak, and on some of us, they are not even functional. Horses, on the other hand, have thirteen muscles that perform a variety of ear movements. Why? Humans communicate their feelings through facial expressions and not by wiggling their ears. Horses, however, display their emotions primarily with their ears, so they need a strong, diverse group of muscles to create specific actions and expressions.
It might be lovely to have more muscles for our ears, but then, our faces are quite mobile, so we may have the edge there. Have fun wiggling your ears. Entertainment abounds.
