just wondering . . .

[gwynhefar]

what is the evolutionary purpose of a cat's rough tongue? Cats have little projections on their tongues that point backwards and make the tongue feel rough. Dogs don't have those, neither do humans. What's is their purpose?

Comments

[dustyskinandall.livejournal.com]

is it for hairballing???

I have no idear.

[metaphorge.livejournal.com]

To help in cleaning?

[silme.livejournal.com]

Cleaning?

[mfree.livejournal.com]

To help get the last little bit of meat off of large bones after they've killed their prey.

[danorsong.livejournal.com]

As well as the meat thing they are slightly hollow allowing for said cat to get more water when drinking. Dehydration being a "bad thing"

[cissa.livejournal.com]

I always figured grooming and licking bones. Irritating us is just an extra benefit!

[the-revolution.livejournal.com]

Although many will say that it's for grooming, the primary evolutionary reason is for munching the meat off of bones, and sucking the marrow out. etc.

grooming is a side benifit.

[phantom_wolfboy]

[geek on]ACtually, while the replies above are correct, I just wanted to point out that nothing on a living creature's body has to have "evolutionary purpose" (by which, I suppose, you mean that it conveys an advantage that allows the organism reproductive success); it only needs not to interfere with reproductive success and then it could get carried over.[geek off]

[gwynraven.livejournal.com]

while this is true, unusual characteristics that are predominant throughout the species tend to have evolved for a positive purpose. Most such characteristics were initially mutations of some sort, and were thus limited to only a few individuals -- they only became widespread if they served some purpose that made those individuals more likely to pass on their genes than individuals without the mutation.

Sorry, I can be geeky too :)

[straif.livejournal.com]

If you are sleeping late on a weekend (say, past 6:00 AM), one of our cats will help you wake up. She knows that you cannot feed her with your eyes closed, so she will open your eyelids. ..with her tongue.

I figure the roughness gives cats an evolutionary advantage because it helps them domesticate humans.