In equatorial Africa is a small shrew that can bear the weight of an adult human for minutes at a time, and then walk away unharmed. This animal, the armored shrew, has become known as the hero shrew for its amazing strength. But researchers have been puzzled as to why the creature evolved that way — built with an incredibly strong spine that no other animal had been found to have. Now a research team led from the Field Museum in Chicago has discovered a new species capable of similar feats of strength, which they’re calling Thor’s hero shrew. The new animal appears to sit between the armored shrew and common shrews, and it’s helping to reveal the mystery behind the both creatures’ impressive spines.
via The Verge
