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Hey there, Smarty Pants. We're going to play a little game of trusty narrator says, It's just like Simon says, only instead of Simon, only do what I say when I say, narrator says to do it. Are you ready? Narrator says, Nod your head. Narrator says, Clap your hands. Narrator says, Stick out your tongue. Now, wag your tail. Are any of you wagging your tail? You shouldn't be because narrator didn't say to do it. But even more than that, you shouldn't be wagging your tail because you don't have a tail. Nope. People do not have tails, but nearly all animals do. But why? Have you ever wondered why animals have tails and how important is it that they do? And have Have you ever wondered why some tails are short and stumpy? Others are curly cues, and some are long and thin, while others are big and furry. Some are even made of plumes or feathers. Not only are animal tails extremely different in size, shape, and color from one species to the next, their function or how an animal uses their tail is also very different, and in some This is very impressive. Monkeys use their tails to travel from tree to tree, while dolphins can use their tails to push themselves out of the water and swim backwards.

While you might not consider an animal's tail to be that important, you might be surprised to learn that most animals rely a lot on their tails, and without them, they would need to adapt new methods to survive, fall prey to other animals, or simply become extinct and no longer be around. Whoa. And speaking of no longer being around, did you know that humans once had a tail? Double whoa. That's right. Narrator says, Wag your tail. Oog happy. Sit back as we tell a tale about tails. It's time for another whiff of science and history on... Who smarted? Who smarted? Who smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up. Everyone, we make smarting. Lots of fun on Who's Smarted. Hey, Smarty Pants. Which of these three landmammals has the longest tail? Is it A, a coyote? B, A, a giraffe. Or C, a spider monkey. Now, most of you probably said B, giraffe. And you'd be right. After all, standing 12 to 14 feet high, girafs are the tallest landmammals with super long necks. So why wouldn't they also have really long tails? But can you guess how long their tails are?

Are they 6 feet long, 7 feet long, or 8 feet long? If you said 8 feet or nearly 2.5 meters long, you're right again. But here's the real question, why do girafs have or need a tail it's as long as a female alligator? Well, it turns out a giraffe's tail serves a very important purpose. Can you guess what it is? Here, we'll give you a hint. That's right. A giraffe's tail is primarily used as a fly swatter. In fact, many animals use their tails as built-in fly swatters, like horses, cows, and elephants. If you've ever seen one of these animals in person or on a video, whether they're moseying along, grazing on food, or just standing around. You'll notice their whip-like tails are in constant motion, shooing away bugs that want to munch on their skin. Of course, swatting flies isn't the only thing animals use their tails for. Have you ever watched a cat walk along a narrow wall? Or a squirrel scooting along a tree branch? Well, it might not look like their tails are doing anything, but they are. Cats and squirrels use their tails to counterbalance themselves and evenly distribute their body weight.

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Cats, squirrels, and all kinds of land animals use their tails like a rudder. Only instead of steering a boat, their tail helps steer their bodies when running, leaping long distances, or climbing down from a high perch. This tail is what's known as a non-prehensile tail. Now, I know what you're thinking. If this is a non-prehensile tail, what is a prehensile tail? A prehensile tail is a tail that acts almost like another hand. Animals with prehensile tails are able to grasp or hold objects with it. For example, a prehensile-tailed spider monkey uses their tail to swing from branches. Besides monkeys, opossums, lizards, and most anteaters have prehensile tails. Of course, all these animals are around today for us to see and study how they use their tails. But can you think of a diverse group of reptiles with huge tails who are no longer around? Did you say dinosaurs? That's right. To help us learn about early animal tales, we're headed to a Natural History Museum to meet my friend Dina, a paleontologist currently overseeing the construction of a T-rex exhibit. Follow me. Wow, this place is humongous and echoey. If you're going to reconstruct dinosaur skeletons, you need lots of room.

Hey, Dina.

Hey, trusty narrator. Hello, smarty pants. Welcome.

We're telling the tale of animal tales, and a good place to begin is way back in the beginning. And what better place to start than in a museum with a paleontologist? Remind us all again what a paleontologist does.

A paleontologist is a scientist who studies fossils and ancient life from prehistoric times. Like our friends, the dinosaurs. In fact, right now we're assembling the back end of T-rex.

Wow, that tail is massive. It must have weighed a ton.

Yep, and there's a reason for it. A T-rex's body is very top-heavy, thanks to their oversize head. And because they walk upright on two feet, they need a strong, heavy tail to act as a counterbalance. Otherwise, they'd tip over.

Hey, we were just talking about cats and squirrels using their tails as a counterbalance when running and leaping. Not that a T-rex was doing much leaping.

No, definitely not leaping. T-rex's tail also acted as a suspension system where it stored and released energy as it moved up and down while it was walking.

Kind of like the shock absorbers in your sneakers. Pretty similar.

Because of this, it's estimated the T-rex moved at only 3 to 4 miles per hour, slightly slower than the average human.

Interesting. For such a feared beast, they were a bit of a slow poke. Who knew?

Yes, quite different than the velociraptors you see in the movie Jurassic Park, who use their tails to make sharp turns as they ran from predators or were on the hunt. While other dinosaurs, like the stegasaurus and ankylosaurus, use their spiky and club tails to fight.

Do any animals today use their tails to fight?

Today, porcupines, pangalins, ardvarks, and some lizards, wield their tails as weapons against predators. But otherwise, the trait has gone the way of the dinosaurs.

Interesting. We learned girafs have the longest tails of all mammals. But which dinosaurs had the longest tails?

Those would be the sauropods. They were incredibly large, four-footed herbivores or plant-eaters with really long necks and relatively small heads. The ones your smarty pants might be most familiar with are the brontesaurus, diplodocus, brachiosaurus, and the Apatasaurus. Their tails were close to 40 feet long.

A 40-foot tail? That's as long as a full-size school bus. Yep.

In fact, it's believed the Apatasaurus could crack their long, thin tail like a whip. And when they slam it into the ground, it created one of the loudest sounds in the dinosaur kingdom.

That's so cool. Well, thanks for making time to speak with us. It's too bad the dinosaurs didn't live to tell the tale. Anyway, Got to go.

Bye, everyone.

Okay, we're back outside to continue our tale About tales. Question, can an animal's tale tell you what mood they're in? Who's a happy boy? Who's a happy boy? If you own a dog or a cat, you know the answer is yes. But when dogs wag their tails to show they're happy to see you, are they doing it voluntarily, like when you wave hello to someone, or is it involuntary, like when you smile or laugh at something? The answer, right after this quick break. Hey, Smarties. Trustee and Irator here. I had a unique challenge recently. I needed to learn German for a friend's wedding in just a few weeks. That's when I found Babel. Thanks to Babel, I'm well on my way to holding my own in German conversations and just in time for the wedding. Babel makes learning a new language engaging and practical. It's not just about words, it's about real conversations that you can actually use. Here's a special deal for our listeners. Right now, get 55% off your Babel subscription, but only for our listeners at babel. Com/smarded. Get 55% off at babel. Com/smarded. It's spelled babbel. Com/smarded. Rules and restrictions may apply.

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Hello, smarty listeners. Trusty here, home after a long day of smarting, and boy, am I hungry? The question is, what to cook? Do I make crispy chicken parmajian? Or yummy salsa verde enchiladas or mouthwatering chicken sausage spaghetti bolognese. Now, I know what you're thinking. Trustee, how can you possibly cook such amazing, delicious, restaurant-worthy meals after a long day? It's easy. Just say Hello to Hello Fresh. Hello Fresh is America's number one meal kit, and it is literally the best thing ever. Each week, I choose from over 45 scrumptuous chef-crafted recipes online. Then, when my box arrives, I have everything I need for easy to make, hearty, healthy, delicious meals that I just know you and your family will love. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, Hello Fresh wants to give you free breakfast for life. Just go to hellofresh. Com HelloFresh. Com/smardedfree, and use code smartedfree for free breakfast for life. One breakfast item per box while subscription is active. That's free breakfast for life at hellofresh. Com/smarded Smarted Free Breakfast for Life at helloFresh. Com/smardedfree with code Smarted Free.

Now back to Who Smarted. Come here, boy. Sit. Good boy. Who wants a treat? Who wants a treat? If you've ever seen a dog wagging its tail from side to side or bouncing up and down, then you already know that dogs use their tails as a form of communication. Most often, a wagging tail means they're excited or happy, like when your dog greets you when you come home from school, or if you offer them a treat. On the other hand, if your dog's tail is between its legs, it could mean they're scared or that they did something naughty. Hey, who chewed up my slippers? Either way, a dog's tail is a pretty good indicator of how they're feeling and communicates their mood without having to say a word. And the same goes for cats. They swish their tails when hunting or playing, or if they're annoyed. And unlike dogs, a wagging A tail might mean Kitty is not happy. But what about fish and sea mammals? Unlike nearly all land mammals, the most common use for a tail in marine life is for movement or what's known as locomotion. Yeah, like that, but not exactly.

Depending on the species, tails or fins can either be shaped horizontally or flat, or they can be shaped vertically or straight up and down. Quick question, Smarty Pants, are Whale and dolphin tails, known as flukes, positioned horizontally or vertically? If you said horizontally, you're right. The reason for that is pretty spectacular. It's because whales and dolphins evolved from four-legged land animals. Huh? Yep. Millions of years ago, whales and dolphins started out on land. Their backbones naturally bend up and down. So once they became When them accustomed to the water, their tails needed to do the same in order to thrust themselves forward. Fish, on the other hand, evolved from worm-like creatures that slithered and didn't have a backbone. And so they grew a vertical tail to allow their bodies to wiggle side to side, like how worms and snakes do. And while we're on the topic of mammals whose tails have evolved, let's revisit a shocking tail we mentioned earlier. At one time, humans most certainly had said, a tail.

Double whoa.

Way back when our distant ancestors hung out in trees, we used our tails to swing and hold on to branches and to walk. Eventually, we made our way down to the ground around 25 million years ago and began walking upright on two feet, no longer needing a tail for counterbalance. Gravity pretty much does most of the work, pulling us forward when we walk or run. How do we know we had tails? Because located at the base of your spine is where the last few bones are fused together. We call this the coccyx bone, more commonly referred to as your tailbone. Go ahead, wiggle your tailbone. Oh, sorry. Narrator didn't say. You're out. A double shout out to Graham and Jude in Virginia, who love learning the answers questions and particularly love my jokes. Hey, who said getting smarter had to be serious? Thanks for laughing and learning to who smarted, you two. This episode, Animal tales, was written by Dave Davis and voiced by Sophie Plitt, Kim Davis, Adam Tex Davis, and Jury Colbert. Technical Direction and Sound Design by Josh Han. Who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room studios. Our Associate Producer is Max Davis-Kamaski.

The theme song is by Brian Davis-Suares, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Adam Tex Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Kolber. This has been an atomic entertainment production. Who Smarted. Starglobe.