With over 350 million years of evolutionary history, the tongue is one of the most fascinatingly diverse organs in the animal kingdom. Read about how it arrived at its varied forms and functions in the Science Magazine article, “Tales of the Tongue.” This Science Magazine video offers additional visual insight into the evolutionary development of reptile tongues, complete with high-speed footage that gives you a close-up view of these complex creatures’ feeding behaviors.

According to scientists, tongues assisted animals in their transition to land by making it possible for them to ingest food without suction. Because tongues share this evolutionary origin but lack a definitive definition, there are debates within the scientific community over what constitutes a “true tongue” versus a “proboscis” — an elongated sucking mouthpart found on many mammals and insects. This Smithsonian Magazine article, for example, looks at a moth species with the longest insect “tongue” on record. “Tongue,” however, might be a misnomer in this case.      

For a sample platter of some of nature’s most impressive tongues, check out the following reports: There's a South American bat whose tongue is 150% the length of its body, a chameleon with a tongue faster than a sports car, and a salamander whose tongue can explode with 18,000 watts of power. 

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