Are You Smarter Than a Tortus?

January 13, 2010

Even with an electron microscope, it can be challenging to differentiate between a human’s fingerprint and a koala bear’s. Koalas have ridges on their fingertips just like people do! Could this fact complicate the process of dusting for fingerprints at a crime scene?

Probably not, since koalas have two thumbs on each hand and claws instead of fingernails. Koalas also generally spend the majority of their time eating eucalyptus and spend about 18 hours a day motionless (mostly sleeping) due to their very low metabolic rate. So most likely, the koala didn’t do it!