Science

Glow-in-the-Dark Animals Star in Bioluminescence Show

From eerie mushrooms glowing green on fallen logs to microscopic plankton shining near the ocean surface, bioluminescence is found everywhere in nature.
  • Glowing Shrooms
  • Luminescent Coral
  • Firefly Forest
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From eerie mushrooms glowing green on fallen logs to microscopic plankton shining near the ocean surface, bioluminescence is found everywhere in nature. Bioluminescence — the production of light by living organisms — seems almost like magic. But it often serves a very practical purpose. Life forms use their shining abilities to attract mates, catch prey, or confuse predators. While relatively rare among creatures on land, up to 90 percent of animals in the deep sea are thought to be bioluminescent, often snaring victims using glowing lures. An upcoming show at The American Museum of Natural History in New York City called Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence looks at this wondrous phenomenon. Featuring live organisms as well as scale models explaining the details of bioluminescence, the exhibit will focus on the different ways that nature exploits living light. The show opens March 31 and runs until Jan. 6, 2013. Above:

Glowing Shrooms

Bitter oyster mushrooms, which grow on trees throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America, glow a faint green at night. Panellus stipticus are typically found on dead logs, though the species can sometimes also infest wounds of living trees. The fruiting bodies have glowing gills and grow in dense overlapping clusters. The light in bioluminescent mushrooms comes from proteins known as luciferases. In some related mushroom species found in the eastern U.S., only the root-like part -- known as mycelia -- glow, creating a faint nighttime forest light known as foxfire. Image: AMNHJ. Sparks