Guinness World Records 2021 (World Records Guinness)

["ANIMALS Fur & Spines Oldest bat Longest hair Largest porcupine A Brandt\u2019s There are several contenders for the longest North African crested porcupines (Hystrix cristata) bat (Myotis hair in the animal kingdom, including the measure around 90\u00a0cm (3\u00a0ft) long, minus the tail. brandtii) found in tails of domestic horses, the overcoats The black-and-white striped quills are modi\ufb01ed a cave in Russian hairs with a hard outer layer of keratin and pointed Siberia in 2005 of muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) \u2013 see tips; the longest of these measure more than this was aged at least opposite \u2013 and the tail tuft of giraffes opened book. Under threat, the porcupine raises 41\u00a0years old, having (Giraffa), which are used as a defence its spines into a defensive crest. been banded in 1964. This bat\u2019s small against bugs. However, the animals size \u2013 only weighing with the greatest hair length on record 5\u20137\u00a0g (0.1\u20130.2\u00a0oz) \u2013 are, in fact, humans (Homo sapiens). When and long lifespan measured on 8\u00a0May 2004, the hair on the defy convention head of Xie Qiuping (CHN) had grown to among mammals; 5.627\u00a0m (18\u00a0ft 5.5\u00a0in) \u2013 the same height more diminutive as a whole giraffe! An Indian monk named species tend to die Swami Pandarasannadhi may have had young. Based on its even longer locks, reported to be 7.9\u00a0m \u201clongevity quotient\u201d, it (26\u00a0ft) in 1949. Evidence suggests that he lived almost 10 times had a condition known as plica caudiformis, longer than expected! where the hair matts together to form a single mass. 2 Finest animal hair Endemic to the Tibetan Plateau, the chiru (Pantholops hodgsonii) boasts the \ufb01nest natural \ufb01bre, with soft undercoat hairs 7\u201310 micrometres in diameter; that\u2019s about 10 times thinner than the average human hair. The trade in this mountain-dwelling antelope\u2019s wool \u2013 known as shahtoosh \u2013 has led to a dramatic decline in its numbers. Rarest great ape Longest whiskers Only formally recognized as a new species in 2017, the Tapanuli Pinnipeds (i.e., seals, sea lions and orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) is listed as Critically Endangered. walruses) have the largest whiskers, or Its single population in north-west Sumatra, Indonesia, vibrissae, of all mammals. None exceeds comprises fewer than 800 individuals. As well as DNA tests, those of the Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus its frizzier coat and more prominent moustache helped to gazella). Typical length for males is 35\u00a0cm distinguish this species from the Sumatran orangutan (P. abelii). (13.7\u00a0in), though in females that decreases to\u00a013\u201322\u00a0cm (5.1\u20138.6\u00a0in). One\u00a0exceptional 8 bull from South Georgia, described in British 7 Antarctic Survey Scienti\ufb01c Reports in 1968, had 6 one 48-cm (1-ft 7-in) whisker. The full span of his titanic\u00a0\u2019tache was 106.5\u00a0cm (3\u00a0ft 6\u00a0in). 45 3 Most whiskers on a pinniped Whiskers are special hairs that have 1 evolved to act as sensory organs. They are found to some extent on all mammals Anatomy of\u2026 fur (bar monotremes and humans). The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) has 400\u2013700 Along with mammary glands, quill-like whiskers on its face, taking fur (or hair) is a de\ufb01ning feature the form of a bushy moustache. Each of most mammals. Although averages only 8\u00a0cm (3\u00a0in) long predominantly made of the but is 3\u00a0mm (0.11\u00a0in) thick \u2013 protein keratin (as are feathers 30 times the diameter of a and horns), hair comes in\u00a0many human hair. forms, including spines. 1. Follicle: The living portion of hair from which the shaft grows 2. Hair shaft: Comprises three layers: a medulla, cortex and the external cuticle 3. Sebaceous gland: Produces oily sebum to keep the skin moist 4. Sweat gland: Helps to regulate body temperature in some mammals; others pant, roll in mud or radiate heat from their bodies 5. Arrector pili: Muscles that cause hair to stand on end when cold (i.e., goosebumps) or on edge 6. Blood vessels 7. Nerves 8. Subcutaneous fat 50 A walrus uses its whiskers to detect bivalves such as clams on the murky sea \ufb02oor. They are sensitive enough to differentiate shells that are millimetres apart in size.","ANIMALS Smallest primate MOST NORTHERLY\u2026 Most northerly lagomorph Discovered in the deciduous forests of western Of the 90 or so species of rabbit, hare Madagascar in 1992, the Madame Berthe\u2019s mouse Ungulate and pika (order Lagomorpha), the lemur (Microcebus berthae) is the smallest primate. In colder climes experienced at more Arctic hare (Lepus arcticus) is found It has a total length of around 21\u00a0cm (8.3\u00a0in), more extreme latitudes, fur is essential for the farthest north. Its boreal range than 50% of which is tail. At 30.6\u00a0g (1.1\u00a0oz), adults survival. Among hoofed animals, none extends to 89\u00b0N, at the very northern weigh about half the size of a plum. ventures farther north than the muskox tip of Greenland. For year-round (Ovibos moschatus), found at 83\u00b0N in Arctic camou\ufb02age on the tundra, it has a FAUX FUR Canada and Greenland. Muskoxen have a white coat in winter and grey-brown double-layered coat to keep -40\u00b0C (-40\u00b0F) fur in summer (inset). \u201cFurriest\u201d crustacean temperatures at bay. The annually shed The yeti lobster (Kiwa hirsuta) woolly underlayer, known as qiviut, is said Densest fur lives on hydrothermal vents to be eight times warmer than sheep\u2019s To withstand the frigid waters in the South Paci\ufb01c Ocean. wool, while the outer guard hairs are of the\u00a0northern Paci\ufb01c, the sea Its long claws and shorter among the longest in the animal otter (Enhydra lutris) has up to thoracic limbs are covered in kingdom; around the skirt, they 160,000\u00a0hairs per cm2 (>1\u00a0million blond bristles called setae. The can\u00a0reach some 60\u00a0cm (2\u00a0ft). per sq in), though thickness varies strands harbour a colony of across its body. Compare that with bacteria that the crustacean Bear about 18,500 per cm2 (60,000 per sq may farm as a food source. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) live in) on a domestic cat\u2019s belly. The fur on ever-shrinking Arctic sea-ice at traps a layer of insulative air close to \u201cFurriest\u201d frog 65\u201385\u00b0N, though on 5\u00a0Aug 2001, an adult What appears to be hair on the was spotted swimming at 89.775\u00b0N. their bodies; this stands in hind legs and midriff of male Approximately 24\u00a0km (14.9\u00a0mi) from the for blubber, which hairy frogs (Trichobatrachus North Pole, this is the northernmost sea otters sighting ever recorded for any bear. lack. robustus) is actually a mass of tiny skin \ufb01laments, supplied These large carnivores are well equipped with blood. Scientists to cope with subzero conditions, boasting believe that the frogs use the most ef\ufb01cient insulation among their these as supplementary kind. As well as a 10-cm (4-in) layer of blubber beneath the skin \u2013 fed by their most respiratory aids, fatty diet of seals \u2013 their two-layered pelage like gills. plays a pivotal role in keeping them warm. \u201cFurriest\u201d \ufb01sh Despite appearances, their fur is not white Fish too can occasionally have as you may assume but mainly transparent. a shaggy appearance, though It only appears white because when sunlight none seen to date has actual hair. hits their coat, some photons get trapped One contender for the \u201cfurriest\u201d in the hair follicles and causes them to title is the striated frog\ufb01sh luminesce. The naturally off-white colour of (Antennarius striatus), whose keratin in the hair also contributes to polar dermal spinules help it to blend bears\u2019 perceived colouration. in among coral and seaweed. othfts\u00a0oetephiOaeerearnotitrhdttuwtibaocepoypakrdsrttocmooyhof 2kw!aae5vtesee%i,gpht 51","ANIMALS Feathers Of the \ufb01ve birds in 1980, there was only one female, named \u201cOld Blue\u201d. All Chatham Island robins today are her descendants. First feathered animal First dinosaur tail found in amber On 8\u00a0Dec 2016, a team of scientists led by the In Jun 2000, scientists announced China University of\u00a0Geosciences published their analysis of\u00a0a sample of amber their discovery of \u201cproto-feathers\u201d on a containing preserved feathers unearthed in 2015. Dating back 99\u00a0million years to the 220-million-year-old fossilized animal. mid-Cretaceous era, it held part of a tail covered in small chestnut-brown feathers, Named Longisquama insignis, it had with a whitish underside, that probably belonged to a juvenile coelurosaur. 100% appendages on its back that were A new contender for the title of oldest hollow, along with other characteristics feathers in amber came to light in a paper published in Nature Communications on consistent with the plumage of modern 10\u00a0Dec 2019. Two pieces of Myanmar amber Greatest recovery that were aged c. 100 million years old by a bird species birds. This creature probably\u00a0used its contained not just dinosaur feathers but By 1980, the Chatham also previously unknown lice-like bugs, Island robin (Petroica Longest beak feathers to glide between trees 75\u00a0million named Mesophthirus engeli. Strong, chewing traversi), endemic to mouthparts, along with signs of damage to the South Paci\ufb01c, had a relative to years before\u00a0the \ufb01rst birds evolved. the feathers, indicate that these parasites population of just \ufb01ve are the oldest feather-feeding insects. birds. As of Nov\u00a02015, overall body length The largest feathered animal ever the number of adults had risen to 289. Found in the Andes was the dinosaur Yutyrannus huali. The bird\u2019s startling comeback was aided from Venezuela to This ancestor of Tyrannosaurus rex was by an innovative technique of \u201ccross- Bolivia, the sword- covered in \ufb01lamentous, downy feathers, fostering\u201d: eggs and hatchlings were given billed hummingbird measured 9.1\u00a0m (29\u00a0ft 10\u00a0in) long and to similar species to brood and raise. (Ensifera ensifera) has weighed some 1,400\u00a0kg (3,100\u00a0lb). It was a 10.2-cm (4-in) beak \u2013 of\ufb01cially described\u00a0in Apr\u00a02012, having been longer than its body, if discovered in north-eastern China\u2019s Yixian the tail is excluded. Formation fossil deposit, which dates At more than 25 cm from c.\u00a0125\u00a0million years ago. (9.8\u00a0in) from the end of its tail to the tip of its prodigious bill, it is also the longest hummingbird. 3 2 Greatest wingspan for an owl 1 Large adult female Eurasian Largest puf\ufb01n super-colony 4 eagle owls (Bubo\u00a0bubo, pictured) There are some 830,000 breeding and Blakiston\u2019s eagle owls pairs of Atlantic puf\ufb01ns (Fratercula Anatomy of\u2026 feathers (B.\u00a0blakistoni ) can attain a total arctica) in Vestmannaeyjar (aka the wingspan of up to 2\u00a0m (6\u00a0ft 6\u00a0in). Westman Islands), off south-west Like their beaks and talons, birds\u2019 Iceland, during the April\u2013August feathers are composed of keratin, The Eurasian eagle owl is also nesting season. This \ufb01gure which is both light and durable. the world\u2019s largest owl, with represents approximately 20% Soft, downy plumage provides an average length of 66\u201371\u00a0cm of the species\u2019 global population birds with warmth; tougher, (2\u00a0ft 2\u00a0in\u20132\u00a0ft 4\u00a0in) and weighing and is based on \u201capparently longer feathers are used in flight. up to 4\u00a0kg (8\u00a0lb 13\u00a0oz) \u2013 40\u00a0times heavier than a blackbird (Turdus occupied burrows\u201d, or AOBs \u2013 1. Rachis: Central shaft from merula). It has been known to the standard measurement which paired branches shoot off abduct small pet cats. unit for assessing puf\ufb01n\u00a0populations. 2. Barbs: Small, parallel branches that project from the rachis that awgwcitltoaahoiatntokeAtsdseireslpenlisftirpe,tesoaapctofrherrpfeeiaeeuttetmdsfehn\ufb01.dtesnarbisly, together form a feather\u2019s \u201cvane\u201d 3. Barbules: Extensions from each barb. Some of these have hooklets, which help to connect adjoining barbules 4. Calamus: A hollow stalk, also known as the quill, connecting the\u00a0feather to the bird\u2019s body 52","Heaviest parrot Longest feathers on a bird Strongest bird of prey The k\u0101k\u0101po (Strigops habroptila), aka the owl parrot, In 1972, the tail covert of a phoenix fowl, Female harpy eagles (Harpia harpyja) is now only found in the wild on three tiny islets aka Yokohama chicken \u2013 a domestic strain are capable of hunting animals off New Zealand. Males are larger than females, of red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus) \u2013 was of equal or superior size \u2013 up to weighing up to 4\u00a0kg (8\u00a0lb 13\u00a0oz) at maturity. measured at 10.6\u00a0m (34\u00a0ft 9.3\u00a0in). It was 9\u00a0kg (20\u00a0lb). Quarry includes sloths owned by Masasha Kubota (JPN). and howler monkeys, which are Identi\ufb01ed from two fossilized leg bones unearthed among the largest eagle prey. The on New Zealand\u2019s South Island in 2008, the heaviest The central tail feathers of Reeves\u2019s female\u2019s lower legs may be as large parrot ever was Heracles inexpectatus. It weighed pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii) may exceed in diameter as a child\u2019s wrist, while an estimated 6.96\u00a0kg (15\u00a0lb 5.5\u00a0oz) \u2013 around twice 2.4\u00a0m (8\u00a0ft), the longest feathers on a wild individual\u00a0talons can be as long as as much as the k\u0101k\u0101po \u2013 and stood c. 1\u00a0m (3\u00a0ft 3\u00a0in) bird. If thrown up in \ufb02ight, they act as a 12.5\u00a0cm (5\u00a0in). Female harpy eagles tall, as described in the journal Biology Letters in brake, allowing it to rapidly alter trajectory. are much larger than males. Aug\u00a02019. The silhouettes above show both birds in\u00a0comparison to an adult man. A tail feather from this bird would be 30\u00a0times longer than the smallest parrot stands tall. Adult buff-faced pygmy parrots (Micropsitta pusio) can be as short as 8\u00a0cm (3.1\u00a0in) and weigh half that of an AA battery! Highest density of feathers This record has long been attributed to the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), with 11\u201312 feathers per\u00a0cm2 (70\u201377 per sq\u00a0in). On land, the feathers stay erect to trap air to insulate the birds \u2013 vital in their native Antarctica, where temperatures can plummet below -40\u00b0C (-40\u00b0F). In the water, which may be as cold as -1.8\u00b0C (28.7\u00b0F), the feathers \ufb02atten to form a watertight barrier. Some scientists now believe that this density has been overestimated, however. Other contenders for the title include the white-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus). Research\u00a0is\u00a0ongoing as we go to press. Largest peafowl species The green peafowl (Pavo muticus) is native to south-east Asia. The male, or peacock, can grow to 3\u00a0m (9\u00a0ft 10\u00a0in) long, including its spectacular train or tail covert, which alone may reach 1.6\u00a0m (5\u00a0ft 3\u00a0in). The biggest male specimens are one of the largest \ufb02ying birds alive today. In courtship rituals, peacocks display their iridescent Tallest \ufb02ying bird feathers in a fan. The vibrancy, size and quality of Cranes belong to the family Gruidae. The largest specimens, such as their plumage are key factors in attracting a mate. sarus cranes (Antigone antigone, pictured), stand up to 1.8\u00a0m (5\u00a0ft 10\u00a0in) \u2013 as tall as the average adult man. They are native to the Indian subcontinent, northern Australia and south-east Asia. 53","ANIMALS Scales (Terrestrial) As well as serving as dermal armour, crocodilians\u2019 Largest claws on a living animal Earliest land-walking \ufb01sh osteoderms also help them to The anterior talons on the third digit There\u2019s a good reason that scales are a regulate body temperature. of the giant armadillo (Priodontes de\ufb01ning feature of early reptiles and all maximus) can grow 20.3\u00a0cm (8\u00a0in) their descendants today: tetrapods Newest species of crocodile long. Native to South America, it (four-limbed animals) evolved from The New Guinea crocodile (Crocodylus novaeguineae) uses its talons to dig and rip apart bony \ufb01sh that transitioned from an was formally described in 1928, although some termite mounds. Its tough carapace aquatic to a terrestrial environment. biologists argued that it represented two\u00a0species. is composed of bony scales called By studying factors such as bodily structure, egg- osteoderms (or \u201cscutes\u201d). The \ufb01rst \ufb01sh with the capability laying habits and distribution, scientists \ufb01nally to traverse land was Tiktaalik roseae, con\ufb01rmed Hall\u2019s New Guinea crocodile (C.\u00a0halli) as a a species of sarcopterygian that lived distinct species in the journal Copeia in\u00a0Sep 2019. c.\u00a0375 million years ago, in what is now the Canadian Arctic. Its pectoral \ufb01ns possessed primitive wristbones not seen in true \ufb01shes but present in tetrapods; the \ufb01ns themselves were notably muscular, with highly developed shoulder bones, and also exhibited functional elbows. All of this would have enabled it to support itself in shallow water, and perhaps on dry land such as sandbars, for brief spells. Largest lizard Komodo dragons (Varanus\u00a0komodoensis) live on a handful of Indonesian islands, the majority on Komodo itself. Males average 2.59\u00a0m (8\u00a0ft 6\u00a0in) long and weigh 79\u201391\u00a0kg (174\u2013200\u00a0lb). Longest reptile The most widely distributed snake The reticulated python (Malayopython overall is the pelagic sea snake reticulatus) of south-east Asia, Indonesia and (Hydrophis platurus) \u2013 see p.57. the Philippines may exceed 6.25\u00a0m (20\u00a0ft 6\u00a0in). The shortest reptiles are three species 1 of Madagascan minute leaf chameleon: Brookesia minima, B. micra and B.\u00a0tuberculata. Adult males may measure 14\u00a0mm (0.5\u00a0in) from snout to cloaca. 5 Most widely distributed terrestrial snake Most traf\ufb01cked wild mammals The largest natural range for a land-based snake The scales of pangolins, aka 4 23 is that of the northern, or European, adder (Vipera scaly anteaters (family Manidae), berus). Its east-to-west range is some 8,000\u00a0km are keratin-based \u2013 the same Anatomy of\u2026 reptile skin (5,000\u00a0mi), from the UK to Sakhalin Island off material that forms hair and eastern Russia. This venomous snake lives as far horn. They serve as an effective Scale-covered skin offers armour north as Scandinavia and Russia\u2019s Kola Peninsula, defence against predators; when and a watertight layer that 200\u00a0km (124\u00a0mi) north of the Arctic Circle, and as under threat, they protect their enables reptiles to survive in far south as the Balkans. underbelly by curling into a ball, arid conditions. However, scales so\u00a0their back faces outwards. aren\u2019t exclusive to reptiles: a number of mammals, amphibians Sadly, their defence has also and insects have also evolved been the cause of their downfall. this feature in various forms. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, 1. Scale: Stiff exterior plate that more than 1\u00a0million pangolins were provides protection and helps the illegally traded between 2000 and animal to retain moisture 2013. In some cultures, the scales are prized for traditional medicine, 2. Hinge: Flexible region between scales in the epidermis and the easily captured animals are also hunted for meat. 3. Chromatophores: Pigment- containing cells that lend reptiles their varied colouration 4. Osteoderm: Bony deposits that reinforce keratinized scales in many lizards, turtles and crocodilians 5. Dermis: Muscular layer of skin below the scales supplied with nerves and blood vessels The name \u201cpangolin\u201d derives from the 54 Malay word pengguling, which roughly translates as \u201cone who rolls up\u201d.","ANIMALS Largest gecko The New Caledonian giant gecko (Rhacodactylus leachianus) can reach\u00a036\u00a0cm (1\u00a0ft 2\u00a0in) long including its tail. The smallest geckos are the dwarf geckos of the genus Sphaerodactylus. Measurements of 16\u201318\u00a0mm (0.62\u20130.7\u00a0in) from snout to vent have been recorded for the Jaragua dwarf gecko (S. ariasae) from the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands dwarf gecko (S.\u00a0parthenopion). Slowest insect wing-beat Most ef\ufb01cient thermoregulating lizard The wings of the European swallowtail butter\ufb02y (Papilio machaon) The lava iguana (Liolaemus multiformis) is a \ufb02ap 300\u00a0times per minute \u2013 just \ufb01ve\u00a0times a second. The \u201cdust\u201d on black-scaled species native to the Peruvian the wings of butter\ufb02ies and moths is actually a latticework of tiny Andes. After an hour basking in the sun scales (see inset) made from glucose-based chitin; it is nature\u2019s in near-freezing external conditions of second-most common polymer after cellulose, found in plants. only 1.5\u00b0C (34.7\u00b0F), it can raise its body temperature to 33\u00b0C (91.4\u00b0F). The heaviest reptile is the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) of south-east Asia and northern Australia. Large males can weigh as much as 1,200\u00a0kg (2,645\u00a0lb). Largest family of moths 100% Largest lizard genus With a worldwide distribution, there are As of 8\u00a0Feb 2020, currently more than 35,000 species of Smallest chelonian there were 436\u00a0known owlet\u00a0moth (family Noctuidae) known The speckled cape tortoise (Chersobius signatus) of South Africa species in the genus to science. However, given the cryptic has a shell length of 6\u20139.6\u00a0cm (2.3\u20133.7\u00a0in); it\u2019s small enough to Anolis. Native to the colouration and patterning of their upper hide between the cracks in rocks. As with all chelonians, this Americas, anoles forewings, which makes them dif\ufb01cult to tiny tortoise features two types of scales: small epidermal scales are arboreal (tree- spot, there may be numerous more species on its skin and hard, keratin-covered scutes that encase its shell. dwelling) lizards. \u2013 possibly as many as 65,000 \u2013 that are Males have large, still\u00a0awaiting formal discovery. species-speci\ufb01c coloured dewlaps for Recent research suggests that scales displaying to females. on moth wings may act as a defence mechanism, absorbing sound frequencies With 143\u00a0species as used by bats for echolocation. of the same date, the largest snake genus inkrteaefrtdoratTlerltoemahicndiieksss\u00a0disasenknfggsiranm,eok.hrmeeioen\u2019lssltosowf is Atractus, or arrow ground snakes. They range from Panama south to Argentina. Heaviest venomous snake The eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus, pictured) of south-eastern USA weighs up to 6.8\u00a0kg (15\u00a0lb) and may reach 1.83\u00a0m (6\u00a0ft) in length. The heaviest on record was 15\u00a0kg (33\u00a0lb) \u2013 about the same as four human babies \u2013 and was 2.36\u00a0m (7\u00a0ft 9\u00a0in) long. A rival species for this title is the gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica) of sub-Saharan Africa with an 11.3-kg (25-lb) specimen documented in 1973. The longest venomous snake, meanwhile, is the king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah), native to India and south-east Asia. Adults typically grow between 3.7 and 4\u00a0m (12\u201313\u00a0ft) long. 55","ANIMALS Scales (Aquatic) Historically, European cat\ufb01sh opafwirtrmhiatenhTohsahutarreaa-alnrpiotkdatbeaiemucsvskcaetasn,c!leasn counting annual growth rings \u2013 (Silurus glanis) may have been similar to ageing a tree. A sample of the largest freshwater \ufb01sh; 386\u00a0bigmouth buffalo revealed that, yet another contender became in multiple cases, as much as 90% extinct in 2020 (see pp.64\u201365). of a population was aged 80\u00a0years or more, far exceeding the previously assumed age cap of 26\u00a0years for this species. Five specimens were con\ufb01rmed to be centenarians, with the\u00a0oldest aged 112\u00a0years. Largest freshwater \ufb01sh Newest living shark There are several species in the running for this title, depending As noted in Zootaxa on 18\u00a0Jun 2019, the most recently on the criteria. The arapaima (Arapaima gigas, above) of described species of extant South America\u2019s Amazon Basin grows to 4.5\u00a0m (14\u00a0ft 9\u00a0in) shark is the American pocket and weighs 200\u00a0kg (440\u00a0lb). The heavier Mekong giant cat\ufb01sh shark (Mollisquama mississippiensis), (Pangasianodon gigas, inset) and Chao Phraya giant cat\ufb01sh a type of kite\ufb01n shark. Caught in the Gulf (Pangasius sanitwongsei) of Indochina both weigh in the region of of Mexico in Feb\u00a02010, the 14.2-cm-long 300\u00a0kg (660\u00a0lb) but grow to shorter lengths of 3\u00a0m (9\u00a0ft 10\u00a0in). (5.6-in) juvenile male is only the second species of the genus found to date. As with all sharks, the skin of\u00a0pocket sharks is almost fully covered in V-shaped placoid scales called denticles (see below left). 1 Largest mosasaurs Most diverse bioluminescent vertebrates Mosasaurs were prehistoric aquatic lizards Up to 80% of ray-\ufb01nned \ufb01sh (class Actinopterygii) living in open 2 4 5 that sat at the top of the oceanic food chain water can produce their own light. Amazingly, the ability evolved 3 towards the end of the Cretaceous era independently within that group at least 27 times! Many such (94\u201366 million years ago). Estimates for the \ufb01sh, including the deep-sea hatchet\ufb01sh (family Sternoptychidae) biggest specimens range from 15\u00a0m (49\u00a0ft) pictured here, inhabit the ocean\u2019s mesopelagic (\u201ctwilight\u201d) zone, for Hainosaurus bernardi, up to 18\u00a0m (59\u00a0ft) at depths of 200\u20131,500\u00a0m for Mosasaurus hoffmanni. Like modern sea (650\u20134,920\u00a0ft). snakes, all mosasaurs are believed to have had scaly skin; small, keeled (ridged) scales The scales of hatchet\ufb01sh scatter light, rather possibly limited drag when swimming than re\ufb02ecting it, making it harder for and also reduced shininess, helping with predators to spot them in the murky deep. camou\ufb02age when hunting. Anatomy of\u2026 denticles Oldest freshwater \ufb01sh The skin of sharks, skates As reported in Communications Biology in and rays has small placoid May\u00a02019, the oldest age-authenticated (plate-like) scales, giving it a freshwater \ufb01sh is the bigmouth buffalo texture similar to sandpaper. (Ictiobus cyprinellus), a member of the Known as \u201cdermal denticles\u201d, sucker family native to drainage waters these protective structures also of the Mississippi Basin and Hudson Bay help to reduce drag through the in central USA and southern Canada. It\u2019s water in\u00a0many cases. possible to calculate a specimen\u2019s age by extracting otoliths (earstones) and 1. Dermal denticles: V-shaped scales with a tooth-like structure Longest dive by a chelonian An adult female loggerhead turtle (Caretta 2. Enamel: A hard outer layer caretta, example pictured) was submerged for 10\u00a0hr 14\u00a0min in the Mediterranean 3. Dentine: Tough, calci\ufb01ed tissue Sea, off the coast of Tunisia, in Feb 2003. situated underneath the enamel The time was recorded by researchers led by Dr Annette Broderick of the 4. Pulp cavity: The centre of the University of\u00a0Exeter (UK). scale, containing blood vessels, nerves and tissue 5. Basal plate: A bony feature that anchors the denticle to the skin with\u00a0collagen\u00a0\ufb01bres Sea turtles have tough, scaly skin on their bodies, while their shells are lined with hard, 56 horn-covered scales known as \u201cscutes\u201d.","Although pelagic sea snakes spend most Largest anadromous \ufb01sh ANIMALS of their lives in the open ocean, they do Fish that are born in fresh water, migrate occasionally get washed on to the shore. to the sea as juveniles and return to fresh Largest parrot\ufb01sh water to spawn are termed \u201canadromous\u201d. The green humphead parrot\ufb01sh (Bolbometopon The biggest such \ufb01sh, the beluga sturgeon muricatum) reaches 1.5\u00a0m (4\u00a0ft 11\u00a0in) long and (Huso huso), averages 2.3\u00a0m (7\u00a0ft 6\u00a0in) weighs up to 75\u00a0kg (165\u00a0lb 5\u00a0oz). The sole member of long and weighs 65\u2013130\u00a0kg (143\u2013286\u00a0lb). its genus, it is indigenous to reefs in the Indian and Sturgeon have diamond-shaped ganoid Paci\ufb01c oceans, where it is the largest herbivorous scales with an enamel-like coating. \ufb01sh. Parrot\ufb01sh are known for their bright colours and fused teeth that form a parrot-like \u201cbeak\u201d. Most widely distributed snake Largest salmon No species of snake has a greater Native to the northern Paci\ufb01c and Arctic range than the pelagic sea snake oceans, chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus (Hydrophis platurus), aka the yellow- tshawytscha) can reach 1.5\u00a0m (4\u00a0ft 11\u00a0in) long. bellied sea snake. (\u201cPelagic\u201d relates Like most soft-\ufb01n-rayed \ufb01sh, salmon have to the surface of the sea.) It lives in smooth, overlapping cycloid scales, a tropical regions of the Paci\ufb01c and layout that affords them a greater degree Indian oceans, from south-east Asia of \ufb02exible movement. and Australia to California, USA, and Ecuador in South America. Its scales Heaviest bony \ufb01sh do not overlap, to reduce sites where Adult sun\ufb01sh (genus Mola) average marine ectoparasites may adhere. It 1.8\u00a0m (6\u00a0ft) long and weigh c.\u00a01,000\u00a0kg also sheds its skin more often than (2,200\u00a0lb). The heftiest specimen was a terrestrial snakes \u2013 another means bump-head sun\ufb01sh (M. alexandrini ) caught of removing these unwanted guests. off Kamogawa in Chiba, Japan, in 1996. It weighed 2,300\u00a0kg (5,070\u00a0lb) and was 2.72\u00a0m Largest predatory \ufb01sh (8\u00a0ft 11\u00a0in) between \ufb01n tips. Sun\ufb01sh have Great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) ctenoid scales with a comb-like edge. measure 4.3\u20134.6\u00a0m (14\u201315\u00a0ft) in length, and generally weigh 520\u2013770\u00a0kg (1,150\u20131,700\u00a0lb). Longest duration \ufb02ight by a \ufb02ying \ufb01sh Circumstantial evidence suggests that some In May\u00a02008, a \ufb01lm crew travelling great whites can exceed 6\u00a0m\u00a0(20\u00a0ft), which is between Honshu and Yakushima Island in longer than a pick-up truck. Kagoshima, Japan, recorded a 45-sec \ufb02ight by a \ufb02ying \ufb01sh (family Exocoetidae). The internal structure of coelacanth scales has been likened to a \u201csmart material\u201d as it can recon\ufb01gure itself when placed under pressure. Most recently described Largest \ufb01sh species of living coelacanth The plankton-feeding whale shark (Rhincodon Latimeria menadoensis was formally recognized in 1999. Until typus) is found in warmer areas of the Atlantic, then, the only known extant coelacanth was L.\u00a0chalumnae, Paci\ufb01c and Indian oceans. Those assessed to date described in 1938. Prior to this, these primitive \ufb01sh had been typically measure 4\u201312\u00a0m (13\u00a0ft 1\u00a0in\u201339\u00a0ft 4\u00a0in) thought to\u00a0have become extinct more than 65\u00a0million\u00a0years ago. long, with sexual maturity generally agreed to be Coelacanths boast bone-hard scales that have been rated to be reached at 9\u00a0m (29\u00a0ft 6\u00a0in). However, evaluations about 10 times tougher than window-pane glass! of these elusive \ufb01sh vary drastically from study to study. The largest documented specimen is a female caught in the Arabian Sea off Gujarat, India, on 8\u00a0May\u00a02001; she was reported to measure 18.8\u00a0m (61\u00a0ft 8\u00a0in) \u2013 the length of a bowling alley! aotnhfTadewhiwesuhspepihputaopeaancteltissehqtrte\u00a0ausr\ufb01hrcihesapnrahleotfro.sskosf 57","ANIMALS Skin Despite their name, mole-rats are not fully \u201cnaked\u201d, as they have whiskers and tiny sensory hairs distributed over their body. Most venomous cephalopod liver and gut can be seen. Longest-lived Certain species of blue-ringed octopus (genus Hapalochlaena) Combined with typically lime-green rodent carry a potent neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin (TTX). Each colouration on their backs, the translucent Africa\u2019s naked mole- individual carries suf\ufb01cient venom in their salivary glands alone skin offers highly effective camou\ufb02age rat (Heterocephalus to paralyse, or even kill, an\u00a0adult human. Although they can when resting on leaves. Many species of glaber) can live up to bite, they are not aggressive, preferring to warn away threats by glass\u00a0frog also have green bones. 31\u00a0years in captivity. making the patterns on their skin glow. They are found around In the wild, they the\u00a0coasts of Australia, Japan and parts of south-east Asia. Largest frog inhabit underground One key difference between frogs and toads burrow systems below lies in their skin. Frogs typically have moist, East Africa\u2019s arid smooth skin, while toad skin is usually dry grasslands. As this and bumpy. With an average length of 30\u00a0cm habitat is so warm, the (11.8\u00a0in), the African goliath frog (Conraua rodents do not need goliath) is the biggest frog species. fur. If they do become cold, they huddle The marine or cane toad (Rhinella marina) together for warmth. of South America and Australia (introduced) is the largest toad. In 1991, one specimen measured 38\u00a0cm (1\u00a0ft 3\u00a0in) from snout to vent. 1 Thickest skin Reaching up to 10\u00a0cm (4\u00a0in), the skin on the back of the whale shark (Rhincodon 100% typus), below its scales (see p.57), has a 2 4 rubber-like texture to deter predators Most poisonous \ufb01sh 3 5 such as orcas. They can make their skin All puffer\ufb01sh (Tetraodontidae) contain tougher still by clenching dorsal muscles. TTX neurotoxin (also see above Anatomy of\u2026 frog skin left), although potency varies across Certain marine mammals have been species. If ingested, a mere 16\u00a0mg can All vertebrates have skin, though said to have thicker skin, but that includes kill a 70-kg (154-lb) human, and less than 2\u00a0mg if injected. When it may be covered by fur, spines, fatty tissue beneath the dermis. The animal threatened, the \ufb01sh in\ufb02ate and erect spines to ward off attackers. feathers or scales. It provides with the thickest blubber is the bowhead protection, helps to regulate whale (Balaena mysticetus); in places, it The smallest puffer\ufb01sh is the Malabar puffer, aka the pea body temperature and acts as a can\u00a0be 40\u00a0cm (1 ft 3.7 in) thick. puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus, inset) of south-west India, sensory organ. In amphibians, which measures no more than 3.5\u00a0cm (1.4\u00a0in) long. such as frogs, the skin is naked Most transparent amphibians and semi-permeable, allowing Some glass frogs (family Centrolenidae), 100% Stickiest salamander for the exchange of air and water. native to the rainforests of Central and Native to woodland areas across Some amphibians are toxic, as South America, have partly transparent much of the USA, the northern slimy they sequester toxins from the abdomens, through which their heart, salamander (Plethodon glutinosus) is invertebrates that they feed on. named after the glue-like mucus that Most poisonous frog its skin secretes. This substance is 1. Epidermis: The outer layer of The toxic skin of the golden poison- so adhesive that predators often \ufb01nd skin is highly permeable, allowing dart frog (Phyllobates terribilis) they have bitten off more than they water and electrolytes to pass has an LD50 (median lethal dose) of 0.2\u00a0micrograms can chew, as the mucus 2. Chromatophores: Cells that (\u03bcg) per\u00a0kg. Just 14\u00a0\u03bcg effectively seals the contain pigment and reflect light of its poison, called batrachotoxin, can be 100% attacker\u2019s mouth shut. 3. Capillaries: Small vessels that fatal to a 70-kg (154-lb) transfer oxygen and nutrients from human. Endemic to the the blood to body tissues Paci\ufb01c rainforest of western Colombia, the frog is 4\u20136\u00a0cm 4. Poison glands: While all frogs (1.6\u20132.4\u00a0in) long, also making it have these, in most they\u2019re not the largest poison-dart frog. toxic enough to deter predators Scientists wear surgical gloves when 5. Mucous glands: Mucus traps handling frogs and toads, as soap and moisture, keeping the frog moist chemicals on our bare skin can harm them. and helping it to absorb oxygen 58","Despite their name, electric eels are actually ANIMALS a type of knife\ufb01sh, more closely related to cat\ufb01sh \u2013 a family of \ufb01sh that all lack scales. Greatest size difference between a\u00a0tadpole and a frog of the same species Native to South America, the seven species of Pseudis are named paradoxical frogs for good reason: their young are three to four times the size of their parents! In P.\u00a0paradoxa, for example, tadpoles reach a maximum length of 16.8\u00a0cm (6.6\u00a0in), but dramatically shrink during metamorphosis; full-grown frogs measure no more than 6.5\u00a0cm (2.5\u00a0in), and often less. Largest river dolphin Farthest-gliding amphibians Although newborn dolphins sport a few Some species of \ufb02ying frog have been reported whiskers for about a week after birth, these to glide as far as 15\u00a0m (50\u00a0ft) between trees using aquatic mammals \u2013 like all cetaceans \u2013 the extensive webbed skin on their feet. Pictured have streamlined, smooth-skinned here is a Wallace\u2019s \ufb02ying frog (Rhacophorus bodies. A layer of blubber nigropalmatus), which also has oversized pads on below their skin provides its toes that help it to climb and to land softly. insulation. The biggest Most electric animal freshwater dolphin is The electric eel, or poraqu\u00ea (genus Electrophorus), is native to river the boto (Inia geoffrensis) of the Amazon systems in the tropics of South and Orinoco rivers in South America. This America and Central America. species\u2019 distinct pink colouring comes from According to a Sep\u00a02019 study blood vessels close to the skin\u2019s surface. in Nature Communications, of the three\u00a0known living species, E.\u00a0voltai Largest gliding mammal Most common New World vulture generates the most electricity \u2013 up to Found in the forests of Asia, giant \ufb02ying squirrels Some animals have evolved patches of 860\u00a0V, in the case of one 1.2-m-long (genus Petaurista) grow to 1.1\u00a0m (3\u00a0ft 7\u00a0in) long, bare skin for strategic purposes. There are (4-ft) female (above). The \ufb01sh produce including the tail. They glide using parachute-like, c.\u00a04.5\u00a0million turkey vultures (Cathartes electricity via three paired organs fur-coated skin between their limbs and chest. One aura) worldwide; their bald heads and necks along their bodies. Dr William specimen is recorded covering 450\u00a0m (1,476\u00a0ft) \u2013 prevent them from soiling their feathers Crampton (above), one of the paper\u2019s around the same length as four soccer \ufb01elds! when eating bloody carcasses. The lack of lead authors, told GWR that size and plumage also helps control body temperature. electrical potential are unrelated. \u201cElectric eels can reach huge sizes \u2013 The gelada (Theropithecus gelada) of up to at least 2\u00a0m [6\u00a0ft 6\u00a0in] \u2013 but these Ethiopia, a close relative of the baboon, has monsters often have lower voltage a hairless chest patch known as a \u201cbleeding than ones that are much smaller.\u201d heart\u201d. When vivid red, it signals sexual receptiveness in\u00a0females and dominance in Deepest-living octopus males. The gelada boasts huge upper canine Dumbo octopuses (genus teeth but it is actually a grazer, with grass Grimpoteuthis) live close to constituting up to 90% of its diet, making the ocean \ufb02oor, some 4,865\u00a0m it\u00a0the most herbivorous monkey. (16,000\u00a0ft) below sea level \u2013 more than two-and-a-half times the depth of the Grand Canyon. Their body, roughly 20\u00a0cm (7.8\u00a0in) long, is soft and semi-gelatinous, and two\u00a0ear- like \ufb01ns give them their common name. The\u00a0eight limbs are joined by a web of skin, which can lend these octopuses an umbrella-like appearance. Smallest rhinoceros Below, the Sumatran rhino is compared with The Sumatran rhino the white rhino (Ceratotherium simum simum), (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) the largest rhinoceros at 4.2\u00a0m (13\u00a0ft 9\u00a0in) long has a head-and-body length and 1.85\u00a0m (6\u00a0ft) tall at the shoulder. It weighs of 2.3\u20133.2\u00a0m (7\u00a0ft 6\u00a0in\u201310\u00a0ft approximately 3.6\u00a0tonnes (7,930\u00a0lb). 6\u00a0in), a shoulder height of 1.1\u20131.5\u00a0m (3\u00a0ft 7\u00a0in\u20134\u00a0ft 11\u00a0in) 59 and weighs up to 2\u00a0tonnes (4,400\u00a0lb). In 2019, it became extinct in Malaysia owing to deforestation to make way for palm-oil plantations. Along with elephants and hippos, rhinos were formerly classed as pachyderms (from the Greek pachydermos \u2013 meaning \u201cthick skinned\u201d). Their wrinkles trap moisture, helping these animals to moderate their body temperature in the tropics.","ANIMALS The majority of gastropod shells are spirally coiled in a \u201cdextral\u201d Exoskeletons (i.e., right-handed) pattern. Earliest\u00a0exoskeletons many parts of the world, including Largest land snail The oldest animals in the fossil record, Spain, Namibia, Uruguay, the USA, Collected in Sierra Leone in Jun\u00a01976, a specimen dating to around 558\u00a0million years ago, China, Antarctica and Russia. of the African giant snail (Achatina achatina) were\u00a0all soft-bodied marine organisms, measured 39.3\u00a0cm (1\u00a0ft 3.4\u00a0in) from snout to such\u00a0as Dickinsonia. It was not until Earliest trilobites tail when fully extended, with a shell length of around\u00a08\u00a0million years later that some Taking the \u201couter skeleton\u201d strategy of ESF 27.3\u00a0cm (10.75\u00a0in). It weighed exactly 900\u00a0g (2\u00a0lb). creatures began to develop a tough life-forms to another level was Arthropoda. The supersized snail, named Gee Geronimo, was exterior\u00a0for extra protection. This phylum includes insects, arachnids owned by Christopher Hudson of East Sussex, UK. and crustaceans, all of which boast an The \ufb01rst-known animals to exhibit this exoskeleton of some form. Smallest scorpion evolutionary advantage were Cloudina, Scorpions are one of the most sea-dwellers from the late Ediacaran period One of the \ufb01rst arthropod groups well-known animals today that are known collectively with other, later to emerge were trilobites (Trilobita), to sport an exoskeleton. life forms as ESFs (early skeletal fossils). some 520\u2013540\u00a0million years ago. Now The smallest of their kind is Loosely described as an exoskeleton or extinct, their closest living relatives are a shell, the outer, mineralized portion of horseshoe crabs. The earliest arachnid, by 100%Microbuthus pusillus, with a total their bodies resembled a tall nest of cones, comparison, was the scorpion Parioscorpio one inside another, composed of calcite. venator, dating from c. 436 million years length of around 1.3\u00a0cm (0.5\u00a0in). Cloudina\u2019s soft body form is presently ago. Described in Scienti\ufb01c Reports in Jan It\u00a0is found on the Red Sea coast. unknown, as such tissues do not readily 2020, it\u2019s unknown whether the scorpion led fossilize. Its remains have been found in a terrestrial, marine or amphibious lifestyle. The heaviest scorpion is the emperor scorpion (Pandinus imperator) of 1 West Africa, which can weigh up to 60\u00a0g (2\u00a0oz) \u2013 more than\u00a0a\u00a0tennis ball. It measures 2 between 13\u00a0and\u00a018\u00a0cm (5\u20137\u00a0in) long. Scorpions give off a bright blue-green glow 3 when placed under ultraviolet light. This is 4 Most dangerous sea urchin Highest density of crabs The \ufb02ower urchin (Toxopneustes pileolus) of the Indo-Paci\ufb01c At the last population count in 2015, Anatomy of\u2026 exoskeletons may look delicate, but it packs a punch. Its hard shell (\u201ctest\u201d) a total of 38\u00a0million Christmas Island Animals can sport total or partial is covered in spines and pedicellaria (claw-like organs) that red crabs (Gecarcoidea natalis) lived exoskeletons. In the latter case, deliver a venom containing Contractin A. As well as causing on the 135-km\u00b2 (52-sq-mi) Christmas e.g. arthropods, they are often severe pain, the toxin seems to affect smooth muscle, which Island and nearby Cocos (Keeling) called \u201cshells\u201d. Exoskeletons are can lead to respiratory problems and even paralysis. Islands in the Indian Ocean. That\u2019s formed from the \ufb01brous natural around 280,000 crabs per\u00a0km\u00b2 polymer chitin. CreohmdnrasiicsahgyOtroresmaanrpabetacreis,eostctoentIhmasmteclobaauanttlhaerdker. (730,000 per sq\u00a0mi). Numbers have plummeted since the invasion of 1. Epicuticle: Waxy protective the yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis outer\u00a0layer gracilipes). In 2017, researchers tried 2. Exocuticle: Intermediate layer to arrest the decline by introducing 3. Endocuticle: Highly chitinized a\u00a0\u201cbiocontrol agent\u201d: Malaysian inner layer wasps, which eat the crazy ants\u2019 4. Helical nano\ufb01bres: Exoskeletons derive their primary food source. toughness from their internal arrangement, a twisting stack of chitin and protein layers which resembles the grain in plywood. 60","ANIMALS Largest seadragon Newest seadragon Most aquatic spider The common or weedy As reported in the journal Royal Society Open The diving bell spider (Argyroneta aquatica) spends seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) Science, the ruby seadragon (Phyllopteryx almost its entire life submerged. It builds a \u201cdiving can grow to a length of 45\u00a0cm (1\u00a0ft dewysea) was formally described in 2015. bell\u201d by collecting air bubbles with hydrophobic 5\u00a0in) from snout to tail tip. Unlike Although similar in body shape to the (water-repellent) hairs on its legs. It then deposits many other \ufb01sh, seadragons and common seadragon (see left), it is most the bubbles between the strands of its underwater seahorses do not have scales. readily distinguished in live specimens web until it becomes big enough to reside in. They are covered instead in a bony by\u00a0its colouration: red with pink vertical exoskeleton made\u00a0up of hard rings. bars. Ruby seadragons are only known to live off Western Australia. Smallest horseshoe crab The mangrove horseshoe crab (Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda) has a circular shell, or carapace, whose diameter measures up to 15\u00a0cm (5.9\u00a0in). It inhabits owing to \ufb02uorescent chemicals present Largest ammonite coastal forests, mud\ufb02ats and shores in the outer layer of their exoskeletons. An incomplete fossil of a Parapuzosia throughout India and south-east Asia. Scientists are unsure as to the exact seppenradensis ammonite discovered Horseshoe crabs are the last surviving purpose of this luminescence. in Germany in 1895 measured 1.95\u00a0m members of an ancient arthropod Theories include that it lures or (6\u00a0ft 4\u00a0in) across, with the complete lineage known as the xiphosurans, confuses prey, or helps to locate shell estimated at 2.55\u00a0m (8\u00a0ft 4\u00a0in). most closely related to prehistoric other scorpions in the dark. Ammonites were related to squids and octopuses but lived inside coiled shells. sea\u00a0scorpions (eurypterids). Largest spider Their most similar-looking relatives While spiders are covered today are nautiluses (family Nautilidae, Most legs on an animal in elongated hairs known as inset), sometimes called \u201cliving fossils\u201d. Despite their name, millipedes do trichobothria, they too have an not have 1,000\u00a0legs. They usually outer skeleton. When spiders outgrow have around 300\u00a0pairs, although the their exoskeletons, they shed them in a species Illacme plenipes \u2013 native to process known as moulting. California, USA \u2013\u00a0can grow 375\u00a0pairs (i.e., 750\u00a0legs). Millipedes have a The biggest spider is the goliath segmented armoured exoskeleton. Some bird-eating tarantula (Theraphosa blondi), species protect themselves by rolling into an ambush hunter with a leg span of up a\u00a0ball when threatened. to 28\u00a0cm (11\u00a0in). It is found mainly in the coastal rainforests of Suriname, Guyana Oldest animal (non-colonial) and\u00a0French Guiana, and, despite its name, A quahog clam (Arctica islandica) most commonly eats insects and toads. found off Iceland in 2006 was estimated to be between 405 and Greatest sexual dimorphism for a beetle 410\u00a0years old. Sclerochronologists Among trilobite beetles (genus Platerodrilus) from Bangor University in Wales, of India and south-east Asia, there is a huge UK, studied annual growth rings size difference between the sexes. The in the shell to\u00a0determine its males, which look like typical beetles, can longevity; in 2013, a follow-up be as little as 5\u00a0mm (0.2\u00a0in) long, whereas study using more advanced ageing the females can measure up to 60\u00a0mm techniques revised it to 507 years. (2.4\u00a0in) \u2013 an incredible 12-fold disparity. Females are neotenous, resembling Longest beetle worm-like beetle larvae their entire life, Dwelling in the rainforests even as adults. Also unlike the males, the of Central and South females bear armoured, spine-edged plates, America, Hercules most\u00a0prominently upon the head, which beetles (Dynastes hercules) lends them a resemblance to prehistoric trilobites (see opposite), hence this range from 44 to 172\u00a0mm insect\u2019s\u00a0common name. (1.7\u20136.7\u00a0in) long, a large proportion of which is 100% taken up by their horn-like pincers. This super-strong bug is aptly named: during resistance experiments, they have been shown to be able to withstand a force of 850\u00a0times their own weight! The elytra (hardened wing covers) of Hercules 61 beetles change colour from yellow\/green to black with\u00a0increased humidity as they absorb moisture.","ANIMALS Pets & Livestock Longest human tunnel travelled Shortest horse (male) through by a dog on a skateboard Bombel measures 56.7\u00a0cm (1\u00a0ft 10\u00a0in; A \ufb01ve-year-old bulldog named 5.3 hands) to the shoulders, as veri\ufb01ed on Dai-chan, owned by Marie Saito (JPN), 24\u00a0Apr 2018 at Kaskada Stable in \u0141\u00f3d\u017a, skateboarded through\u00a0the legs of Poland. The miniature Appaloosa is owned 33\u00a0people on\u00a017\u00a0Sep 2017 in Tokyo, Japan. by Katarzyna\u00a0Zieli\u0144ska (POL), who named The same record for a cat is 13\u00a0people, him after the Polish word for \u201cbubble\u201d, in by Boomer \u2013 a Bengal owned by Robert reference to his rather rotund body. Dollwet (USA\/AUS) \u2013\u00a0on 9\u00a0Feb 2017 in Coolangatta, Queensland, Australia. Longest domestic cat Barivel \u2013 a Maine Coon owned by Cinzia Fastest time to perform 10\u00a0vaults Tinnirello and Edgar Scandurra (both ITA) \u2013 off\u00a0a\u00a0human by a dog was 120\u00a0cm (3\u00a0ft 11.2\u00a0in) from nose to tail tip On 12 May 2019, Jack Russell Little\u00a0Joe on 22\u00a0May\u00a02018. As rati\ufb01ed on 28 Aug 2010, bounced off Rachael Grylls (UK) 10\u00a0times the longest domestic cat ever was also a in 9.843\u00a0sec at the DogFest canine show Maine Coon: the 123-cm-long (4-ft) \u201cStewie\u201d in\u00a0Knebworth, Hertfordshire, UK. belonged to Robin\u00a0Hendrickson At the same event, Nala performed the and\u00a0Erik Brandsness most \u201csits\u201d\u00a0by\u00a0a dog in one\u00a0minute \u2013 35, (both USA). guided by her owner, Nicci Hindson\u00a0(UK). Farthest dock- Tallest horse jump by a dog The year 2020 On 22\u00a0Sep 2019, marks a decade since four-year-old whippet GWR \ufb01rst met Big Sounders, owned by Jake. On 19\u00a0Jan 2010, Laurel Behnke (USA), the then-nine-year- leapt 11.02\u00a0m (36\u00a0ft 2\u00a0in) old Belgian gelding from a platform into measured 210\u00a0cm (6\u00a0ft a pool of water at The 10\u00a0in; 20.3\u00a0hands), Michael Ellis School in without shoes, at Santa Rosa, California, Smokey Hollow USA. This beat his own Farm in Poynette, record by 21\u00a0cm (8.2\u00a0in) Wisconsin, USA. At and is more than 2\u00a0m his peak, Big Jake (6\u00a0ft 6\u00a0in) farther than consumed a bale the human long of hay and two full jump record! North buckets of grain a America Diving Dogs day. He is currently veri\ufb01ed the feat. enjoying retirement. Most dance moves Most \u201chigh \ufb01ves\u201d by a rat in\u00a030\u00a0seconds by\u00a0a bird On 5 Oct 2019, golden Siamese rat Frankie (inset Researchers analysing right) completed 28\u00a0alternating paw tricks in half a minute videos of Snowball, with Luke Roberts (UK) in Watford, Hertfordshire, UK. a sulphur-crested Not to be outdone, Frankie\u2019s brother Freddie (a wheaten cockatoo who can rex, inset left) completed the \u00a0most hoop jumps by a rat strut his stuff in time in 30\u00a0seconds \u2013 eight \u2013 on 5 Jan 2020. With 2020 being the to pop songs, have Year of the Rat, Luke, who himself is a record holder, has identi\ufb01ed 14 different plans to set further records with his rodents. \u201cdance movements\u201d. These include head banging, head shaking and foot lifting (above). Owned by Irena Schulz (USA), Snowball has favoured tunes to jive to, including Cyndi Lauper\u2019s \u201cGirls Just Want to Have Fun\u201d and Queen\u2019s \u201cAnother One Bites the Dust\u201d. 62","Most dogs in a conga line Rabbit showjumping \u2013 aka rabbit hopping \u2013 began in On 8\u00a0Dec 2019, Alexa Lauenburger (DEU) led Sweden in the 1970s. Competitors vault over a series of a conga line with eight of her four-legged friends miniature fences, testing both their speed and bounce. \u2013 Emma, Jennifer, Katy, Maya, Nala, Sabrina, Sally and Specki \u2013 in Todenb\u00fcttel, Germany. It was one Largest goat yoga class of \ufb01ve dog-trick records broken by Alexa and her On 14 Sep 2019, Debbie and Rob Canton father Wolfgang on that day (see below). At (both USA) held a yoga class for 501\u00a0people just 12\u00a0years old, talented trainer Alexa has alongside the caprine inhabitants of Grady appeared on TV in Germany, the UK and Goat Farm in Thonotosassa, Florida, USA. the USA, debuting on America\u2019s Got Talent in The record attempt was part of a charity 2020. She started to work with dogs at the campaign against child traf\ufb01cking. age of \ufb01ve. \u201cIt\u2019s really important to \ufb01nd a trick that suits the dog,\u201d she advises. The largest dog yoga class featured 270\u00a0participants and was organized by Not satis\ufb01ed with merely mastering canine conga, Alexa and her father Wolfgang Lauenburger \u2013 who Link Asset Management Limited (HKG) comes from a circus background \u2013 set four on\u00a017\u00a0Jan\u00a02016 in Hong Kong, China. further dog-trick records with their talented pack of\u00a0pooches on 8 Dec 2019: Largest parade of alpacas Fastest time to complete On 14\u00a0Jun 2019, a herd of \ufb01ve jumps by a rabbit Fastest time to walk 10\u00a0m on hind 1,048\u00a0alpacas took to the streets On 18\u00a0Jan 2020, Penelope cleared legs by\u00a0a\u00a0dog: 3.05\u00a0sec by Emma with of the Peruvian city of Juliaca to \ufb01ve hurdles in 4.816 sec. She saw Wolfgang. celebrate the 58th\u00a0anniversary of the off fellow leporine leapers Bullseye Puno region\u2019s Southern Cattle Fair. and Big Ben \u2013 all owned by rabbit Fastest 5\u00a0m backwards by a dog: Both breeds of alpaca were present: the showjumper Nicole Barrett (UK) 6.73\u00a0sec by Jennifer with Alexa. huacaya (identi\ufb01able by its spongelike \u2013 to claim the title at the Bradford hair) and the suri (notable for\u00a0its long Premier Small Animal Show in Most spins by a dog in 30\u00a0seconds: hair and lustrous coat). Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK. 43\u00a0by Maya with Wolfgang. Highest bar jump by\u00a0a\u00a0llama Largest horn spread Fastest \ufb01ve\u00a0hurdles cleared Caspa leapt over a 1.13-m-high (3-ft on\u00a0a\u00a0steer by\u00a0a\u00a0dog on hind legs: 5.66\u00a0sec 8.5-in) bar on 14\u00a0Jun 2015 at DogFest A seven-year-old Texas longhorn by\u00a0Emma with Alexa. named Poncho Via has horns that held at\u00a0Arley Hall, Cheshire, UK. He stretch 3.23\u00a0m (10\u00a0ft 7\u00a0in) from tip to is\u00a0owned by\u00a0Sue\u00a0Williams (UK). tip. Poncho Via lives on a ranch in Goodwater, Alabama, USA \u2013 where Most bottlecaps removed he has been raised by the Pope by\u00a0a\u00a0parrot\u00a0in\u00a0one\u00a0minute family. Described as a \u201cbig, gentle Way ahead of the \u201cbottlecap challenge\u201d that character\u201d, he likes to eat apples, went viral in 2019 was Gordon the hyacinth carrots and marshmallows. macaw. On 1\u00a0Nov 2014, he removed 12\u00a0tops from soda bottles in Los Altos, California, USA, under the supervision of his trainer, Julie Cardoza (USA). wfaossrtTph\u201c2ere3.xeA6Slaasa5\u00a0sdDr\u00a0o,mgaofUenn2(Ssi80caAt\u00a0a1fh.ct\u201d9oo8,irwn\u00a0nin) Longest horns on a yak The curly horns belonging to Jericho, a 20-year- old Tibetan native trim yak, were a combined 3.23\u00a0m (10\u00a0ft 7\u00a0in) on 23 Dec 2018. Jericho is owned by Hugh and Melodee Smith (both USA) and lives in Welch, Minnesota, USA. Melodee (pictured) describes him as gentle and rideable. His horns have continued to grow throughout his life, becoming so heavy that they have curled forward and then back down around his neck. 63","ANIMALS Round-Up Most recent \ufb01sh extinction artahetrousmrrtoaialltiluSlnvhagsehyeuohsetUctlberdotKarpiceodi.dnkdniotasgighonuisonndi,nraseleass The Chinese paddle\ufb01sh Oldest sloth in captivity (Psephurus gladius) was one Most expensive sheepdog A Linne\u2019s two-toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus) of the largest freshwater Two-and-a-half-year-old border collie Megan, named Paula has lived at Halle Zoo in Germany \ufb01sh (see p.56), growing to at reared by shepherdess Emma Gray (UK), achieved since 25\u00a0Sep 1971 \u2013 a duration of 48\u00a0years 16\u00a0days least 3\u00a0m (9\u00a0ft 10\u00a0in) long and an unprecedented hammer price of 18,000\u00a0guineas as of 11 Oct 2019. She was thought to have been at up to 300\u00a0kg (660\u00a0lb). The (\u00a318,900; $24,361) at Skipton Auction Mart in North least two\u00a0years old on arrival, so the zoo nominated species was characterized Yorkshire, UK, on 21\u00a0Feb 2020. The buyer was 14\u00a0Jun 2019 as her 50th birthday. The species has a by its elongated, sword-like Brian Stamps, a rancher from Oklahoma, USA. typical lifespan of 20\u00a0years in the wild. rostrum (i.e., snout). In Jan\u00a02020, it was formally declared extinct by the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences and sturgeon experts of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It probably died out sometime between 2005 and 2010, owing to over\ufb01shing and habitat loss. Keen to avoid more records like this, Guinness World Records has partnered with The Lion\u2019s Share (see pp.10\u201311). Fastest-running ant Fastest muscle The Saharan silver ant (Cataglyphis bombycina) of in a mammal northern Africa can reach speeds of 85.5 cm\/s (2\u00a0ft A study of Daubenton\u2019s bats 9\u00a0in\/s) \u2013 or 108 times its own body length \u2013 when (Myotis daubentonii) revealed running at full pelt. By way of comparison, Usain that superfast muscles Bolt (JAM) ran at \u201cjust\u201d 5.35 times his body height in their throats contract per second when he achieved the fastest 100\u00a0m \u2013 and relax 200 times per 9.58\u00a0sec \u2013 in Berlin, Germany, in 2009. second (200\u00a0Hertz). That\u2019s around 20\u00a0times faster than the muscle that controls blinking in our eyes, the orbicularis oculi \u2013 the fastest human muscle. This high oscillation in the bats\u2019 larynx produces a barrage of calls, referred to\u00a0as \u201cterminal buzz\u201d, which helps them to home in on prey through echolocation when\u00a0hunting. Oldest gorilla in captivity Fatou, a western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), has lived at Zoo Berlin in Germany since May\u00a01959. She marked her 63rd year on 13\u00a0Apr 2020, the date the zoo has allocated as her birthday. She had a rival for this title in another western lowland gorilla called Trudy (thought to have been born in Jun\u00a01956) of Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas, USA. Sadly, Trudy passed away Longest recorded solitary dolphin on 23\u00a0Jul\u00a02019. An Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) called Fungie has lived alone off Dingle in County Kerry, Ireland, for at least 37 years. According to a 2019 report reviewing the world\u2019s independent- living whales and dolphins by cetacean charity Marine Connection, he \ufb01rst appeared in 1983. The study sought to shed more light on the \u201clone rangers\u201d among these typically social group The oldest gorilla that can be aged precisely was Colo, who was born in animals. Fungie has become a much-loved symbol Columbus Zoo in Ohio, USA, on 22\u00a0Dec 1956 and died on 17\u00a0Jan 2017, of the region among both locals and tourists. 64 aged\u00a060\u00a0years 26\u00a0days. She was the \ufb01rst gorilla born in captivity.","The piercing cry of the white bellbird can be heard ANIMALS from around a mile (1.6 km) away and is on a sound- level equivalent to the hammering of a pile driver! Largest Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton an additional pair of Loudest bird call In Mar\u00a02019, a new contender for this title emerged \u201cpseudothumbs\u201d, giving it a Native to rainforest in the Guianas, Venezuela and in the shape of \u201cScotty\u201d (above, and in silhouette total of 12 digits. They were northern Brazil, male white bellbirds (Procnias below). This T.\u00a0rex may have been 13\u00a0m (42\u00a0ft\u00a07\u00a0in) previously thought to albus) have been recorded making calls of 125.4\u00a0dBA long and weighed some 8,870 kg (19,555\u00a0lb) be \ufb02eshy protrusions, at a distance of 1\u00a0m (3\u00a0ft 3\u00a0in) in courtship displays. according to the University of Alberta\u2019s Dr W\u00a0Scott but closer analysis The louder the calls, the shorter they tend to be \u2013 Persons (also above), who led a study into Scotty\u2019s revealed that they are which is just as well for the females, as the males size. Scotty is only 65% complete, however. The composed of bone and perform right next to them! The \ufb01ndings appeared most complete T. rex skeleton is \u201cSue\u201d, found in cartilage. The results of in the journal Current Biology on 21\u00a0Oct 2019. 1990 and of similar proportions to Scotty. As the the study were published debate over their relative sizes is ongoing, GWR in the American Journal currently accords this title to both specimens. of Physical Anthropology on\u00a021\u00a0Oct 2019. Most expensive pigeon On 17\u00a0Mar 2019, a bird named Armando \u2013 lauded as the \u201cLewis Hamilton of pigeons\u201d \u2013 sold for First set of twin pandas born \u20ac1,252,000 ($1,417,650; to a captive mother and a wild father \u00a31,065,870) via the PIPA On 25 Jul 2018, He He (\u201cHarmony\u201d) and Mei Mei online auction house. (\u201cBeautiful\u201d) were born to 16-year-old Cao\u00a0Cao at He was one of a group the Hetaoping Base of China Conservation and sold by Belgian pigeon Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan, fancier Jo\u00ebl\u00a0Verschoot. China. The twins were sired by a wild giant panda Although he had recently (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) whom Cao Cao met during retired, the \ufb01ve-year-old a temporary release \u2013 a practice that aims to Armando came with an impeccable competitive expand the species\u2019 limited gene pool. pedigree, having won his\u00a0last\u00a0three\u00a0events. Largest freshwater the critically endangered Most tricks performed turtle\u00a0ever Yangtze giant softshell by a dog in one minute Stupendemys geographicus turtle (Rafetus swinhoei). Daiquiri the Australian lived some 13\u00a0million\u2013 S.\u00a0geographicus inhabited shepherd pulled off 7\u00a0million\u00a0years ago during lakes and rivers in 60\u00a0tricks in 60\u00a0sec with the Miocene period. The what is now Colombia owner Jennifer Fraser largest specimens were the and\u00a0Venezuela. (CAN) in Calgary, Alberta, same size as a sedan car, reaching 4\u00a0m (13\u00a0ft) long Most digits for a primate Canada, on 12\u00a0Dec 2019. and weighing 1.25\u00a0tonnes The aye-aye (Daubentonia The feat was equalled (1.37\u00a0US\u00a0tons); that is \ufb01ve madagascariensis), a by fellow Canadian times heavier than today\u2019s nocturnal lemur endemic Sara Carson Devine largest freshwater\u00a0turtle, to Madagascar, has with Hero the Super Collie in Lancaster, California, USA, on\u00a011 Apr 2020. Largest camera-trap wildlife survey In 2018\u201319, the fourth iteration of a nationwide survey of tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) took place in India. Cameras were placed in 26,838\u00a0locations across 141 different sites, covering an effective area of 121,337 km2 (46,848 sq mi) \u2013 three times the size of Switzerland. They recorded 34,858,626 images of wildlife, 76,651 of which were of tigers. The project was overseen by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the Wildlife Institute of India, state forestry staff and conservation NGOs. The \ufb01nal tiger count from the 2018 census was 2,967 \u2013 He He and Mei Mei now live encouragingly up 33% on 2014. However, experts warned at Shenshuping Panda Base, the rise may partly re\ufb02ect improved counting methods. part of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. Above, they are pictured with Feng\u00a0Li, Head of Animal Management at the facility\u2019s\u00a0kindergarten. 65","ANIMALS ANIMALS HJAaLLPnOeF FAGMEoodallshOCenahwnfrr1ioahanmei4DtrnsmJairm\u00a0ertJvpaijosi\u00a0husmueDaannagtarOldsnoteeatlistT2tolntrdezonl\u00a0imassah02sutlecdvrrhvasotn2\u201d6eieseeulyoy,yaenr0geztatwfRaitstlet.\u2013da,cai\ufb02ntleewn.HehtetsohnioanmesSshovddslyenitneanitd)degheieausnaa.vlagdcdahasrey,malpkAicnerurnsnvlienlatgehierihfnnaehHaoeatvdtnrergMoawdutah\u00a0lehkseeuawt(whtgvjsrlmncrcheeanertdeb\ufb01umeeiaaoihooLrooctfef\u2019otsplchravatenptpuaetwnaGadnsutlshhneeuactoorpJog\u201chkntcreohterdtosetosnajaMlntthlseieosoohumoacutopTmernapnovcndHvccueeo\u00a0mfhertganTsdnnetebrochhotseegstbopataeatrviihdaHen\u00a0heptsvarumethoisulemetsirubkeGlfnf-meeresfofutcaef\u201dldoesphoorolleeoneinRudrtsrogplLil.elnntersriraopggreJva.evsecmonaeaasJosioemttianmgaasduIatatoofadtigasnau,lfifsucfJionhnnembdtturaemenniodinanydwttaeoPicyiionlseenegrarhseondskeairatnsynaooidptbidvaekt\u00a0pghisneeGsNetmstr-LyenustwniogceylahaceaerolsaresTtttt\u2019joe\u2019afahrg,psoe.idhahuymucouminctmla3hoaDeuotnhibiShalsosibemfanctfnienmul0nkdwaepauado,,ohoteuirthttagafcn\u00a0reszltiakasni-wontfornyte\u00a0pusluvmitlChclibJahyuosalhieiytrdeeo\ufb01hahgoatlpenssolOnateeescrakiwuaotalcanwfaoIpineasttgomhinVtcmnunrtnPssazhrhrytaeoJcoz\u201ciedtt\u2013ysuoeeeblIwesheadteaaesooM\u2019loessorpDsohK.ltdc(arlorwsntweoometmettrbsiisGno\u201caeroaok-GgheutrhlsflrseetGete1Oeasudamsrgo)UanoHmnieeettootae9gigtmrtio.tmnhtch-nteigiynemetebhnzeow\u201dndrpeaSprulhcepelpeaaassssioayeu,aynsdaohtalrnieiatabbyasmr,rhvenyhttntmessenftihettdwae\u2019lfneielnotneebeormutretyhhtoyojisiel6ldthmoeeyahreursaotSdiocdvrtwoeolrhora0aaiasu)eps(shenentehwibout,lc(uvfnaPsriNtsa\u00a0smtnddnoentvrcteaeroUeare)aeaaaisshmodteasrteastoithgnnadunwiaanisollhetaeyasK\u201crtcusnuea\u2013loFoadaetnsmwund.ie\u00a0ibttoiTa\ufb01t.dwanifaovnrtlns)usrwimdrtafscAooohnsnhrbimtitdchsepasdtarsirnbhnrhgnsi,dGal6(ohn\u00a0aazla.pnamureyiaca\u00a0eogeios0Jeasoattstflevanc.eashlrwaheelplsthnnu.o,arsfwJehilon.dsharncut.erIlnoy\u00a0aulroornvkaioihte\u00a0nvtaeetlrmrfngnrrmciinnwlooricaosgkonmyehgohsgidpotptluaaub.egouiiiisrtwaracmnsgnnlesmhatrellnehtud.dtsldeylhpteyhzadltsi,eoiaai,inheets\u201doirgdusvineeengafohtse\u2019edszratesohnate,emsmsutesbteeh,hrhsuossiefia,\u2019tcapihwttrhnshe.dteo Iminonmff2altag0uihndae1ezten9h1i,tnTei0JaeI0awMl\u2019s\u00a0npmoEelerioslodtsp.tle SpiGsioct1rlete1durm7esr\u00a0sedlGitdanocyh)lhsdleiiearvmnseepoaainafsnn8dbG\u00a0zaNGoebmoleiivetbtts2wee0wrai1n(in8tbshd..\u00a0\u20131tah3rae\u2013egi1etr4hdm\u00a0eJ2uow0lt\u00a0ohy1re9elar9d,r8\u2019ss,","1S:\u2013hcTafooihrlnno2ooeStisn:mmtsJueJOigadaparsewpnnwetvnsrm3rieasoeaGe2vie:ictxtrbge3GnosJhfirm,reooa\u00a0cmnoiJmacr1rnbnhtuoooms2bhe.toeeldwmhaeFd\u2019ottm2aasteeolcwmh0nhliWeeutloSn1adeionoIvnte9evtirnhnaieeunpd,demasgrrPndteuJwstssaeeardmsiichrcimt\u201cvninoatuosnatieehreetnibwtcrineowaeCntaese1snnsr\u2019hoairns9elTtHsyemsytdiy9Raohmkswta11olnu\u2013aRsanrei0ounnbzttrtoo.a0hhtaeyhygoHwbos,ancuttoofJpelD&snhoieamfukeaiuue&dnVtjnio,uankngoectptSnsegehdethlhrtu\u201dsreenioi.ogmevehefoeiassaepnt.nsvswse,deteoimdfcso.re 3 FHignaudlilnoounf tFemsasmowreeosraelbcdotriueotcnJoaartndwes.iwcnowtmh. e\/2021 12 Urpwetomghonrraoolt\ufb01dtoesr\u2019mshlsyeltiofnawrnrgoagrmasievps\ufb01iaetnrsplsgaateakrsatc\u00a0el\u201cGlhtoahowthem6ieg7pdbh3reto\u00a0u,okuJpmgdaeane(tbs4euot1hpvm3ae-\u00a0modcLlmotaio)ske. emnSe\u00a0hwtTaoeaiktfndehmegoasaybcngslrryieifoibrekuve\u201dap.adt\u2013otiohfthntehesteime 67 66","Humans Largest gape PAC-Man has nothing on Isaac Johnson (USA), whose mouth can stretch to 9.34\u00a0cm (3.67\u00a0in) \u2013 easily big enough to accommodate a baseball. His gape \u2013 the distance between the upper and lower incisors \u2013 was measured in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA, on 15\u00a0Apr 2019. Isaac was only 14\u00a0years old when he claimed his jaw-dropping record, last set in 2015 by Bernd Schmidt (DEU) with his 8.8-cm (3.4-in) gape. Discover more about Isaac, and further maw-some records, on pp.74\u201375.","GtoWIeBasnRe\u201capc\u00a0rYap2onocl0udy\u2019u1sraSa\u00a07ctbfghcotraehiueosndmrlt!ddh\u201dshiedesbimrateeyiiannitngg, DESTINATIONS 68 70 Medical Marvels 72 Body Parts 74 Open Wide! 76 Size Matters 78 Skin Deep 80 Oldest 82 Round-up 84 Hall of Fame: Jyoti Amge 69","HUMANS Medical Marvels Shortest woman to give birth Stacey Herald (USA), who stood 72.39\u00a0cm (2\u00a0ft 4.5\u00a0in) tall, delivered her \ufb01rst child on 21\u00a0Oct\u00a02006\u00a0in Dry Ridge, Kentucky, USA. Most operations endured Charles Jensen (USA) had 970 operations to remove the tumours associated with basal cell nevus syndrome from 22 Jul 1954 to the end of 1994. This rare genetic condition increases the risk of certain cancers. Heaviest woman to give birth Youngest transplant patient Largest object removed from a human skull Donna Simpson of New Jersey, On 8\u00a0Nov\u00a01996, aged just 1\u00a0hr, On 15\u00a0Aug 2003, US builder Ron Hunt fell off a USA, weighed 532\u00a0lb (241\u00a0kg; Cheyenne Pyle (USA) received ladder, landing face-\ufb01rst on to his still-revolving 38\u00a0st) when she delivered a donor heart at the Jackson 46-cm (1-ft 6-in) drill bit. It passed through his Children\u2019s Hospital in\u00a0Miami, Florida, USA. right eye and exited through his skull above his daughter Jacqueline in Feb\u00a02007. right ear. Hunt\u2019s brain had been pushed aside At 8\u00a0lb 7\u00a0oz (3.8\u00a0kg), Jacqueline was Longest-surviving rather than penetrated, which saved his life. around 1\/60th of her mother\u2019s weight. quadruple heart-bypass patient She was born at Akron City Hospital As of\u00a019\u00a0Sep 2019, Tom E Diffenbach (USA) in Ohio, USA, attended by a team of had lived for 42\u00a0years 284 days after his 30\u00a0medical professionals. bypass on 9\u00a0Dec 1976\u00a0in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Most extensive face transplant The longest-surviving heart-transplant Richard Lee Norris (USA) underwent patient, Ted Nowakowski (USA), lived for 36\u00a0hr of surgery, completed on 20\u00a0Mar 34\u00a0years 261 days after his operation on 2012, at the University of Maryland 25\u00a0Apr 1983. He passed away on 11\u00a0Jan 2018. Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The operation gave Heaviest object removed from the stomach him a new face from his scalp to the A trichobezoar (hair ball) weighing 4.5\u00a0kg base of his neck, including jaws, (10\u00a0lb) was surgically removed from the teeth and part of his tongue. He had stomach of an unnamed 18-year-old woman been dis\ufb01gured in a gun accident in in Nov 2007 at Rush University Medical 1997\u00a0in which he lost his lips, nose Center in\u00a0Chicago, Illinois, USA. The and much of his lower and upper condition, known as Rapunzel syndrome, jaws. On 16\u00a0Oct 2012, the university results from trichophagia \u2013 a compulsion reported that he was able to smile, to\u00a0eat hair, usually one\u2019s own. eat, smell and taste. Largest tumour removed intact Youngest person to have In Oct\u00a01991, a multicystic mass of the right ovary gallstones and gall bladder removed weighing 138.7\u00a0kg (306\u00a0lb, or nearly 22\u00a0st) was Ishani Choudhary (IND, b. 9 Feb 2019) was extracted from an unnamed woman at Stanford 217 days old when she underwent surgery University Medical Center, California, USA. The on 14 Sep 2019\u00a0in Rajasthan, India. tumour \u2013 as heavy as a giant panda \u2013 was 91\u00a0cm (3\u00a0ft) wide. The surgery took more than six\u00a0hours. Following his operation, Norris had around 80% normal motor function on the right side 70 of\u00a0his face and around 40% on the left.","HUMANS Most worms removed THE DROP ZONE: In May\u00a01990, a total of 56\u00a0white, thread-like HIGHEST FALL worms were taken from the stomach of SURVIVED\u2026 a 58-year-old woman in Isogaki Gastro- Entero-Surgical Clinic in Shizuoka, Japan. They were the larvae of Anisakis simplex and measured up to 17.27\u00a0mm (0.67\u00a0in) long. Oldest parasitic Fastest car crash survived First skull-and-scalp transplant Without a parachute (undiscovered) twin On 17\u00a0Nov 1966, US land-speed-record racer Treatment for a rare form of cancer Yugoslavian air hostess Sanju Bhagat (IND) Art Arfons was piloting his jet-powered car known as leiomyosarcoma left Vesna Vulovi\u0107 fell lived for 36\u00a0years with Green Monster at around 981\u00a0km\/h (610\u00a0mph) James Boysen (USA) without the 10,160\u00a0m (33,333\u00a0ft) a distended stomach. when the bearings on the right front wheel top of his skull. On 22 May 2015, over Srbsk\u00e1 Kamenice In Jun\u00a01999, the seized. His vehicle tumbled for more than a he received partial skull and scalp in Czechoslovakia (now enlarged abdomen mile across the Bonneville Salt Flats, near grafts during a 15-hr operation Czech Republic) on began to crush his Salt Lake City in Utah, USA, yet he suffered at Houston Methodist Hospital in 26\u00a0Jan 1972. According diaphragm, leaving only cuts, bruises and friction burns. Texas, USA, with assistance from to the of\ufb01cial accident him breathless. An the\u00a0MD\u00a0Anderson Cancer Center. report, an explosion operation revealed the In 2008, Jason McVicar (CAN) was riding tore the DC-9 she was 4-kg (9-lb) body of his his Suzuki Hayabusa 1300 bike at 391\u00a0km\/h working\u00a0on\u00a0to pieces. unborn twin, which (243\u00a0mph), also at Bonneville, when he lost had been growing control. He was taken to hospital with a inside him. broken kneecap and friction burns but was discharged that day, after the fastest motorcycle crash survived. Most bee stings survived In a skiing competition Johannes Relleke (ZWE) sustained In Apr\u00a01997, while 2,443\u00a0bee stings at the Kamativi competing in the tin mine in Gwaii River, Wankie World Extreme Skiing District, Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia), Championships in Valdez, on 28\u00a0Jan 1962. All the stings were Alaska, USA, Bridget Mead removed and counted. (NZ) fell a vertical distance of nearly 400\u00a0m (1,312\u00a0ft). She suffered only bruises and concussion. Largest collection of foreign bodies Longest time to survive In an elevator surgically removed with a bullet in the head Betty Lou Oliver (USA) In a 75-year career, Chevalier Quixote Jackson William Lawlis Pace (USA) was fell 75\u00a0storeys \u2013 more (USA) removed 2,374 objects from the throats, accidentally shot in Oct\u00a01917, at than 300\u00a0m (984\u00a0ft) \u2013 in oesophaguses and lungs of his patients. The the age of eight, in Wheeler, Texas, a lift when a B-25 bomber mementos are stored in the Chevalier Jackson USA. The gunshot caused Pace a struck the Empire State Foreign Body Collection at the M\u00fctter Museum facial dis\ufb01gurement, total hearing Building in thick fog in of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia in loss in his right ear and near New York City, USA, Pennsylvania, USA. As well as the items shown blindness in his right eye. By the on\u00a028\u00a0Jul\u00a01945. here, they include a child\u2019s opera glasses, a time he died on 23\u00a0Apr 2012, at the padlock\u00a0and a miniature trumpet. age of 103, the bullet had remained lodged in his head for 94\u00a0years and Longest-lasting hip replacement (at least) 175 days. As of 28 Jun 2019, Norman Sharp\u2019s (UK) left hip replacement was First recorded use of Down an elevator shaft still going strong after 70\u00a0years mouth-to-mouth resuscitation Stuart Jones (NZ) fell The earliest documented instance 23\u00a0storeys, or 70\u00a0m (229\u00a0ft), 209\u00a0days. He was admitted to of a person being revived by down a lift shaft at the hospital in 1930 with septic mouth-to-mouth resuscitation Midland Park building in arthritis and spent \ufb01ve years (also known as \u201cexpired-air Wellington, New Zealand, there having his hips fused and respiration\u201d) took place on 3\u00a0Dec in May\u00a01998. 1732\u00a0in the Clackmannanshire town of learning to walk again. His left Alloa\u00a0in\u00a0Scotland, UK. The incident was By an infant hip was replaced on 1 Dec 1948 described by surgeon William Trossach Garry Augur (CAN, b. Garry and he had the same operation in\u00a0Medical Essays and Observations, O\u2019Neil) was just 21\u00a0months on his right hip 21\u00a0days later. published\u00a0in 1744. old when he fell from The \ufb01rst recorded use of mouth-to- an eighth-floor window mouth resuscitation to revive a victim in Toronto, Ontario, of electric shock took place in 1749\u00a0in Canada, on 27\u00a0Mar 1971. Philadelphia, USA. American inventor He survived the drop of and scientist Benjamin Franklin used a 25.44\u00a0m (83\u00a0ft 6\u00a0in) despite powerful electric shock to kill a chicken, landing on a grass-and- then revived it by \u201crepeatedly blowing into flagstone surface. its lungs\u201d. He described this experiment in a letter to the British Royal Society, published the following year. More than 300,000 hip-replacement surgeries 71 take place in the USA each year. The arti\ufb01cial joints are expected to last for at least 15 years.","HUMANS Body Parts Longest Most \ufb01ngers and toes Longest beard (female) \ufb01ngernails On 11\u00a0Nov 2014, Devendra Vivian Wheeler (USA, above right) grew her beard to a length of on a pair of Suthar (IND) was veri\ufb01ed as having 25.5\u00a0cm (10\u00a0in) from the follicle to the tip, as measured on 8\u00a0Apr hands\u00a0(female) a total of 28\u00a0digits (14\u00a0\ufb01ngers 2011 in Milan, Italy. This is still short of the longest beard ever Professional and 14\u00a0toes) in Himatnagar, (female) \u2013 36\u00a0cm (1\u00a0ft 2\u00a0in), as grown by \u201cMadame Devere\u201d, aka manicurist Ayanna Gujarat, India. Devendra says Janice Devere (USA, above left), in 1884. Williams (USA) grew that\u00a0polydactylism doesn\u2019t her \ufb01ngernails to a affect\u00a0his work as a carpenter, The youngest combined length of though he takes extra care 576.4\u00a0cm (18\u00a0ft 10\u00a0in), when\u00a0sawing wood. female with a full as measured on 7\u00a0Feb In early 2020, another Indian beard is Harnaam 2017. It takes Ayanna contender for this title emerged: Kaur (UK, below right, up to 20\u00a0hours and Kumari Nayak reportedly has at b.\u00a029\u00a0Nov 1990). She was two bottles of polish to least 17 toes and 12 \ufb01ngers, but she aged 24\u00a0years 282\u00a0days paint her nails, which has yet to be investigated medically. when her facial hair was she protects by veri\ufb01ed on 7\u00a0Sep 2015. sleeping with them Longest earlobes (stretched) resting on a pillow. Monte Pierce (USA) can elongate his earlobes to a length of 12.7\u00a0cm (5\u00a0in) for his Largest left and 11.4\u00a0cm (4.5\u00a0in) for his right. When foot\u00a0rotation not stretched, Maxwell Day (UK) his earlobes can rotate his measure right foot through just\u00a0under\u00a0 157\u00b0, as veri\ufb01ed 2.5\u00a0cm on 23\u00a0Sep 2015 in (1\u00a0in). London, UK. He can also twist his left Longest nose foot 143\u00b0. Maxwell stepped forward at the The nose belonging to Mehmet \u00d6zy\u00fcrek Minecraft conference Minecon 2015, where (TUR) measured 8.8\u00a0cm (3.46\u00a0in) from he saw a picture of then-record holder the\u00a0bridge to the tip on 18\u00a0Mar 2010. Moses Lanham and told GWR staff that he The longest nose ever is believed could do even better. He feels no pain when to\u00a0have\u00a0belonged to Thomas Wedders (UK), rotating his feet. an 18th-century circus performer whose prominent proboscis reached 19\u00a0cm (7.5\u00a0in). On 19 Mar 2008, Lloyd\u2019s of London, UK, reported that Ilja Gort (NLD) had the highest-insured nose. Ilja \u2013 the On owner of a vineyard in Bordeaux, (0at\ufb01or.an0oaerg6uovne\u00a0nuea(irn0dnrinla).dsa11gai3g.3el6msr\u00a0.,i5onmgow\u00a0)mrn.motmwh; France \u2013 insured his nose for \u20ac5\u00a0m (\u00a33.9\u00a0m; $7.8\u00a0m) in order to protect his livelihood as\u00a0a\u00a0wine-maker. Farthest eyeball pop Kim Goodman (USA) can protrude her eyeballs out from their sockets by 12\u00a0mm (0.47\u00a0in), as veri\ufb01ed on 2\u00a0Nov 2007 in Istanbul, Turkey. The\u00a0extent of the \u201cpop\u201d was measured by an optometrist using a device\u00a0known as a proptometer. Longest toenails Between 1982 and 1991, Louise Hollis (USA) grew her toenails to a combined length of 220.98\u00a0cm (7\u00a0ft 3\u00a0in). Louise embarked upon her unusual beauty regime having been inspired by a TV programme on long \ufb01ngernails. She could only wear open-toed shoes with 7-cm-thick (3-in) soles, to prevent her nails from dragging on\u00a0the\u00a0ground. 72","HUMANS Longest legs AMAZING ANATOMY: THE (female) HUMAN BODY BY RECORDS Maci Currin of Cedar Park, Texas, USA, The six eye muscles move more than had a\u00a0135.2-cm-long 100,000 times a day, making them the (4-ft 5.2-in) left leg most active muscles; the orbicularis and a 134.3-cm (4-ft oculi, which closes the eyelid in just 4.8-in) right leg, as of 0.1\u00a0sec, is the fastest muscle. 21\u00a0Feb 2020. Standing 205.7\u00a0cm (6\u00a0ft 9\u00a0in) The stirrup, or stapes, in the tall, Maci hopes to middle ear is the smallest follow in the footsteps bone, at an average length of her predecessor of just 3\u00a0mm (0.12\u00a0in). Ekaterina Lisina (RUS), who at 205.16\u00a0cm The largest vein is the (6\u00a0ft 8.7\u00a0in) is still the inferior vena cava, which \u00a0tallest model. carries deoxygenated blood from the lower Largest chest ever (male) half\u00a0of the body to Robert Earl Hughes (USA) had a chest the heart. Its average measurement of 315\u00a0cm (10\u00a0ft 4\u00a0in). For diameter in an adult is a period during his lifetime (1926\u201358), around 2\u00a0cm (0.78\u00a0in). Robert was the world\u2019s heaviest person at 484\u00a0kg (1,067\u00a0lb; 76\u00a0st 3\u00a0lb). The largest internal organ is the liver, which The widest waist ever belonged can reach 1.5\u00a0kg (3\u00a0lb to Walter Hudson (USA, inset). At 5\u00a0oz) in weight and his peak girth of 302\u00a0cm (9\u00a0ft 11\u00a0in), 22\u00a0cm\u00a0(8\u00a0in) long. The Walter was more than three times the largest organ is the circumference of an\u00a0average middle- skin. An average adult aged American male. male has 1.5\u20132\u00a0m2 (16\u201321.5\u00a0sq\u00a0ft) of skin. Largest feet (female) On 23\u00a0Mar 2019, the feet of Julie Felton The fastest turnover of (UK) were measured at 32.9\u00a0cm (1\u00a0ft 0.9\u00a0in \u2013 body cells occurs in the right foot)\u00a0and\u00a032.73\u00a0cm (1\u00a0ft 0.8\u00a0in \u2013 left foot) lining of the alimentary in\u00a0Ellesmere, Shropshire, UK. Julie is 195\u00a0cm tract (gut), where cells (6\u00a0ft\u00a05\u00a0in) tall, and says her feet reached are\u00a0shed every 3\u20134 days. their current size around the The \ufb01ngertips are the At up to 60 cm (1\u00a0ft 11\u00a0in) in age of 16\u201317. Her right foot most touch-sensitive length, the sartorius is the has a tattoo\u00a0of a daisy, part of the body. They longest muscle, running from her\u00a0favourite \ufb02ower. can distinguish between the hip to\u00a0below the knee. two points of contact just 2\u00a0mm (0.07\u00a0in) apart. The femur, or thigh bone, is the\u00a0longest bone. It can reach\u00a050\u00a0cm\u00a0(1\u00a0ft 7\u00a0in) in a 180-cm-tall (6-ft) human. pa2(i0rUw14oSm9F9fe,1o.sad5J5riddz)u.heie5clnei-u;feg1roEs5hirtunoahsrmdoehproa-.ees The calf is the least touch-sensitive part of the body. It is 22.5 times 73 less sensitive than the \ufb01ngertips \u2013 see above. DNA is the largest molecule in human cells. Unwound, it could reach 2\u00a0m (6\u00a0ft 6\u00a0in) in length. The rarest blood group has only been reported in three people. It is a sub-type (h-h)\u00a0of\u00a0the Bombay blood group.","HUMANS DENTAL INTERVENTIONS pen WideLongest milk tooth ! Most expensive false teeth O Dr Scott Bossert removed a sold at auction 100% 100% Dentures used by wartime British prime minister Winston 2.4-cm-long (0.94-in) milk tooth Churchill sold for \u00a315,200 ($23,703) to an anonymous Largest gape (above) from the mouth of 10-year-old bidder on 29\u00a0Jul\u00a02010. This was\u00a0three times the Isaac Johnson Curtis Buddie (USA) on\u00a017\u00a0Jan 2018 in estimated\u00a0price. (USA) has a distance of Columbus,\u00a0Ohio, USA. Highest-insured dentures A set of false teeth that once 9.34\u00a0cm (3.67\u00a0in) between his upper belonged to US president and lower incisors. The 14-year- Widest human tooth\u00a0extracted George Washington (1732\u201399) are insured for old set his sights on becoming the On 28\u00a0Jun 2000, a natural maxillary $10\u00a0m (\u00a37\u00a0m). They are currently on display at \u201cgape-est\u201d having seen previous central\u00a0incisor measuring 1.67\u00a0cm (0.6\u00a0in) Mount Vernon, Washington\u2019s estate in Virginia, USA. record holder Bernd Schmidt (DEU) wide was extracted from nine-year-old Oldest false teeth in GWR\u00a02016 \u2013 just like Bernd had Shane Russell (CAN). This is twice as Discoveries made in Etruscan tombs suggest partial been inspired by previous record wide as\u00a0a regular incisor, which typically dentures were being worn as early as 700\u00a0BCE in what holder JJ\u00a0Bittner (USA) in GWR\u00a02015! measures 0.8\u00a0cm (0.3\u00a0in). is now Tuscany, Italy. Some were permanently attached See pp.68\u201369 for Isaac\u2019s full portrait. to\u00a0existing teeth, while others\u00a0were\u00a0removable. Oldest person to \u201cgrow\u201d a wisdom tooth Youngest person to wear Robert W Gray (USA, b.\u00a013\u00a0Dec 1922) was a\u00a0full set of dentures A condition called hypohidrotic Longest tongue aged 94\u00a0years 253\u00a0days when his third molar ectodermal dysplasia left The tongue of Nick Stoeberl (tooth\u00a0#1) was con\ufb01rmed to have erupted on Daniel Sanchez-Ruiz (UK) with (USA) is 10.1\u00a0cm (3.97\u00a0in) from its tip 23\u00a0Aug 2017 in San Jose, California, USA. complete anodontia \u2013 i.e., no to the middle of the closed top lip. teeth at all. He was given a full Stoeberl, an artist, declared: \u201cI\u2019m\u00a0not The youngest person to have a wisdom set of dentures aged 3\u00a0years only able to lick my nose, but also tooth extracted is Matthew Adams (USA, 301\u00a0days on 25\u00a0Feb 2005. my elbow!\u201d The only downside is the b.\u00a019\u00a0Nov 1992), who had his lower two extra time\u00a0he has to spend brushing wisdom teeth (#17 and #32) removed in his\u00a0tongue every day! Midland, Michigan, USA, on 24\u00a0Oct 2002 when he was\u00a0aged 9\u00a0years 339\u00a0days. Strongest human bite In Aug\u00a01986, Richard Hofmann (USA) achieved a bite strength of 442\u00a0kg (975\u00a0lb) for two seconds in a research test using a gnathodynamometer (an instrument for measuring bite force) at the University of Florida, USA. This is more than six times the normal biting strength. 100% First use of forensic odontology Most valuable grill jewellery The earliest recorded example of a In her music video for \u201cDark Horse\u201d, pop\u00a0megastar Katy Perry ORAL HISTORY corpse being identi\ufb01ed from its teeth wore a dental decoration valued at $1\u00a0m (\u00a3758,282) on 11\u00a0Oct 2017 in Los Angeles, California, USA. The gem-laden grill was 2600\u00a0BCE occurred in 66\u00a0CE. Having ordered the creation of cosmetic dentist Dr William Dorfman, with First dentist the death of her rival Lollia Paulina, help from DaVinci Labs and XIV Karat jewellers (all USA). An inscription on the\u00a0tomb of physician Roman Empress Agrippina had Hesy-Re includes the the head brought to title \u201cthe greatest her. Lollia\u2019s features of those who deal had decomposed with\u00a0teeth\u201d beyond recognition but Agrippina identi\ufb01ed her\u00a0by\u00a0her distinctive teeth. 1700\u20131500\u00a0BCE 700\u00a0BCE 1530 1780 1790 1880 First treatise on First false teeth First book of First toothbrush First dentist\u2019s chair First tube of dentistry The Etruscans, an dentistry William Addis (UK) Josiah Flagg (USA) toothpaste The Ebers Papyrus ancient civilization The Little Medicinal manufactures the \ufb01rst builds the \ufb01rst chair The collapsible metal is the oldest known in modern-day Book for All Kinds modern toothbrush; speci\ufb01cally for dental tube is invented description of diseases Italy, make false of Diseases and he had constructed patients; the Wilkerson by dental surgeon of the teeth and teeth from\u00a0human In\ufb01rmities of the the\u00a0\ufb01rst prototype from chair, the \ufb01rst pump- Dr\u00a0Washington toothache remedies and\u00a0animal remains Teeth\u00a0is written by pig\u00a0bristles and bone type hydraulic dental Shef\ufb01eld (USA) (see above right) Artzney B\u00fcchlein while in prison for chair, is introduced inciting a riot in 1877 74","100% Widest tongue (male) Measured on 30\u00a0Jul 2018 in La Ca\u00f1ada, California, USA, Brian Thompson\u2019s (USA) tongue has a maximum width of 8.88\u00a0cm (3.49\u00a0in). \u201cMy tongue has been an amusement to my friends and family for years,\u201d says Brian. The widest tongue (female) is\u00a07.33\u00a0cm (2.89\u00a0in) at its broadest point\u00a0and belongs to Emily Schlenker of New York, USA. Largest model tooth Most teeth in a mouth Heaviest road vehicle pulled with teeth On 3 Feb 2019, a giant model tooth Vijay Kumar VA (IND) has 37\u00a0teeth in his On 7\u00a0Jan 2015, Igor Zaripov (RUS) used measuring 10.13 m (33 ft 2 in) tall mouth, as veri\ufb01ed on 20\u00a0Sep 2014 in Bangalore, his jaws of steel to move a bus weighing and 5.86 m (19 ft 2 in) wide was India. This is \ufb01ve more teeth than the average 13.71\u00a0tonnes (15.11\u00a0US tons) a distance of unveiled at Pudukkottai in Tamil human. Vijay is proud of his GWR title, although 5\u00a0m (16\u00a0ft 4\u00a0in) in\u00a0Jiangyin, Jiangsu, China. Nadu, India. The mandibular he admits there are some disadvantages \u2013 he bites molar, made from plaster of\u00a0Paris, his\u00a0tongue more often because of it... Largest collection of human teeth was the work of Dr G Rajesh By 1903, Giovanni Battista Orsenigo (1837\u2013 Kannan (pictured), Dental Primary 1904), an Italian monk and dentist, had and\u00a0Thank You Dentist (all IND). accumulated 2,000,744 human teeth during his 36-year career. Given the sheer number Most people brushing their teeth of teeth, it\u2019s unlikely that all were extracted (single\u00a0venue) by Brother Orsenigo personally. On 7\u00a0Nov 2019, a total of 26,382\u00a0people brushed their teeth simultaneously in The largest collection of toothbrushes Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. The attempt is\u00a01,320, amassed by Grigori Fleicher (RUS) was organized by the Indian Association as of 5\u00a0Nov 2008. of Public Health Dentistry, the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences and Colgate- Widest mouth Palmolive India (all IND) to promote \u201cChiquinho\u201d, aka Francisco dental\u00a0hygiene. Domingo Joaquim (AGO), has a 17-cm-wide (6.69-in) mouth \u2013 Heaviest weight balanced on teeth enough to squeeze in a drinks Frank Simon (USA) supported can\u00a0sideways! First spotted a refrigerator weighing 63.5\u00a0kg by GWR researchers (140\u00a0lb) on his teeth for 10\u00a0sec on online, it took a 17\u00a0May 2007 in Rome, Italy. further\u00a0two\u00a0years to track Chiquinho down to\u00a0a marketplace in\u00a0Angola. Most expensive tooth sold\u00a0at\u00a0auction A molar belonging to ex-Beatle John Lennon was bought by Canadian dentist Dr Michael Zuk for \u00a323,010 ($36,857) on 5\u00a0Nov 2011. Lennon had apparently given the tooth \u2013 described as \u201cbrowny with a cavity\u201d \u2013 to his housekeeper as a gift. 1885 1896 1927 oethofixtsifAshtsarweuleicepe\u201cmCoAs\u201ddhne,ntiiscnqogboaeuoesrncilucdnatsacihenvthurore.Jse,aaetnwch First female First dental X-ray First electric 75 dental\u00a0assistant Kells is also the \ufb01rst toothbrush C Edmund Kells, a physician to take a The Electro Massage prominent dentist dental radiograph Tooth Brush Company in New Orleans, (X-ray) of\u00a0a\u00a0living produces its \ufb01rst Louisiana, USA, hires patient model; cordless, Malvina Cueria rechargeable versions (USA) to assist him follow in 1961 in his work","HUMANS Size Matters: Tallest... Politician Woman ever Twins ever (male) Jon Godfread (USA) measures At the time of her The identical Lanier twins (USA, b.\u00a01969) 210.76\u00a0cm (6\u00a0ft 10\u00a0in), as veri\ufb01ed death, Zeng Jinlian \u2013 Michael (d. 2018) and James \u2013 each on 4\u00a0Oct 2019 in Bismarck, North (CHN, 1964\u201382) measured 223.5\u00a0cm (7 ft 3\u00a0in) tall. Michael Dakota, USA. After graduating from measured 246.3\u00a0cm made a brief but memorably chilling college, he played professional (8\u00a0ft 1\u00a0in). Her growth appearance as the \u201cGiant Man\u201d in the basketball in Germany for six accelerated from the horror\u00a0movie It\u00a0Follows (USA, 2015). months before returning to North age of four months Dakota. He was elected state and she stood 217\u00a0cm Teenager ever (female) insurance commissioner in 2016. (7\u00a0ft\u00a01\u00a0in) tall aged\u00a013, Anna Haining Swan (CAN, though neither of her 1846\u201388) reached a Man parents were very tall. height of 241.3\u00a0cm Turkey\u2019s Sultan K\u00f6sen measured She lived in Yujiang (7\u00a0ft 11\u00a0in) by the 251\u00a0cm (8\u00a0ft 2.8\u00a0in) on 8\u00a0Feb 2011 in Ankara, village in the Bright age of\u00a017. At six Turkey. He owes his giant frame to a tumour Moon Commune, years old, she was on his pituitary gland, which was brought Hunan Province. reportedly taller under control by a life-saving operation in than her 165.1-cm 2008. Sultan is the third-tallest person to Married couple (5-ft\u00a05-in)\u00a0mother. have ever lived \u2013 see right for the tallest. Sun Mingming The tallest woman is Siddiqa Parveen and his wife Xu Yan On 17\u00a0Jun 1871, Anna married the (IND). She is unable to stand upright, but a (both CHN) measure \u201cKentucky Giant\u201d, aka Martin van doctor estimated her height to be at least 236.17\u00a0cm (7\u00a0ft 8.98\u00a0in) Buren Bates (USA, 1837\u20131919), who 233.6\u00a0cm (7\u00a0ft 8\u00a0in) in Dec\u00a02012. and 187.3\u00a0cm (6\u00a0ft stood 236.22\u00a0cm (7\u00a0ft 9\u00a0in) tall. They 1.74\u00a0in) respectively: were\u00a0the\u00a0tallest married couple Family a combined height ever, with a combined height of The Zegwaards \u2013 father Sjoerd, of 423.47\u00a0cm (13\u00a0ft 477.52\u00a0cm\u00a0(15\u00a0ft 8\u00a0in). mother Janneke van Loo and 10.72\u00a0in). Sun \u2013 a sons Dirk, Rinze and Sjoerd\u00a0H basketball player \u2013 Man ever (all NLD) \u2013 average 201.18\u00a0cm met Xu \u2013 a handball Robert Pershing Wadlow (USA, (6\u00a0ft 7.2\u00a0in). The family, most of player \u2013 at the National 1918\u201340) was found to be 272\u00a0cm whom must duck to pass through Games of China (8\u00a0ft 11.1\u00a0in) tall when last measured doorways, was\u00a0measured in Weesp, in 2009, and they on 27\u00a0Jun 1940. His unprecedented Netherlands, on 13\u00a0Oct 2019. married in Beijing, stature was the result of an China, on 4\u00a0Aug 2013. overactive pituitary gland. Robert\u2019s peak daily food consumption was tat2aml.ll4lbae5kyRs\u00a0eimottnvhbgtee(ee8hrera.\u00a0itfnmgtwae0gtao.he5sfer\u00a0\u00a01in7), 8,000 calories and his greatest recorded weight, at the age of 21, was\u00a0222.71\u00a0kg (35 st 1\u00a0lb). Aged nine, Robert was able to carry his father \u2013 who stood 180\u00a0cm (5\u00a0ft 11\u00a0in) tall and weighed 77\u00a0kg 76 (170\u00a0lb) \u2013 up the stairs of their family home.","Shortest... Nationalities According to the journal eLife on 26\u00a0Jul Person ever Married couple iFcsaaorctanhhcondeoofki\u00a0mntdr\u2019isedwomsrhnaouoerpclnit\ufb01galaofshlolsfmteriaadm. , 2016, the women of Guatemala had an Chandra Bahadur Dangi (NPL, 1939\u20132015) When measured in Itapeva, S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil, stood 54.6\u00a0cm (1\u00a0ft 9.5\u00a0in) tall when on 3 Nov 2016, Paulo Gabriel da Silva Barros Bus driver average height of 149.4 cm (4\u00a0ft 10\u00a0in). measured on 26\u00a0Feb 2012 at CIWEC Clinic and Katyucia Lie Hoshino (both BRA) reached On 5 Feb 2018, Frank The men of East Timor had an average in\u00a0Lainchaur, Kathmandu, Nepal. a\u00a0combined height of 181.41\u00a0cm (5\u00a0ft 11.42\u00a0in). The Faeek Hachem (UK, b. IRQ) height of c. 160\u00a0cm (5\u00a0ft 3\u00a0in). couple met via social media in\u00a0Dec 2008; Katyucia was measured at 136.2\u00a0cm Woman initially blocked Paulo, but he eventually won her (4\u00a0ft 5.6\u00a0in) in Chichester, West Stuntperson Jyoti Amge (IND) had a height over and they married on 17\u00a0Sep 2016. Sussex, UK. He moved to the Kiran Shah (UK, b.\u00a0KEN) has appeared of\u00a062.8\u00a0cm (2\u00a0ft 0.7\u00a0in) when measured UK over 20\u00a0years ago and in more than 50\u00a0movies since 1976. on\u00a016\u00a0Dec 2011 in Nagpur, India. has been working as a driver Find\u00a0out\u00a0more about Jyoti on p.84. since 2017. His bus requires On account of his short stature \u2013 he The shortest woman ever is \u201cPrincess\u201d no alterations, although Frank measured 126.3\u00a0cm (4\u00a0ft 1.7\u00a0in) Pauline Musters (NLD, 1876\u201395). She has to make sure that the on 20\u00a0Oct 2003 \u2013 Kiran is measured 30\u00a0cm (1\u00a0ft) at birth, and by seat is pulled forward and often hired as a stunt- nine years of age was 55\u00a0cm (1\u00a0ft 9.6\u00a0in) the\u00a0steering wheel is adjusted. double for child actors. tall and weighed only 1.5\u00a0kg (3\u00a0lb 5\u00a0oz). He also doubled for She died of pneumonia with meningitis Elijah Wood in\u00a0the in\u00a0New\u00a0York City, USA, at the age of 19; Lord of the Rings trilogy a post-mortem examination showed her (NZ\/USA, 2001\u201303). to be exactly 61 cm (2 ft). Professional Twins ever pianist ever Born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1901, the Michel Petrucciani Matina twins \u2014 Matyus (d.\u00a01954) and B\u00e9la (FRA, 1962\u201399) was (\ufb02.\u00a01957) \u2014 each grew to 76\u00a0cm (2\u00a0ft 6\u00a0in). an acclaimed 91-cm- They became naturalized US citizens in tall (2-ft 11.8-in) 1924 and worked in circuses as Mike\u00a0and jazz pianist. Despite Ike\u00a0Rogers. They also appeared as Munchkin hundreds of bone villagers in The\u00a0Wizard\u00a0of Oz (USA, 1939). fractures caused by osteogenesis Man (mobile) imperfecta, Michel Edward Ni\u00f1o Hern\u00e1ndez became a much- (COL, right) measured 72.1\u00a0cm sought-after (2\u00a0ft 4.3\u00a0in) tall on 29\u00a0Feb performer and 2020 in Bogot\u00e1, Colombia. refused to let his The 33-year-old reclaimed condition limit his the record he had last held in ambitions. He counted 2010, following the death of the prestigious French Khagendra Thapa Magar (NPL, Prix Django Reinhardt inset above) on 17 Jan\u00a02020. among his awards. Khagendra sadly succumbed to pneumonia at the age of 27. The shortest man (non- mobile) is currently Junrey Balawing (PHL, b.\u00a012\u00a0Jun 1993), who measured 59.93\u00a0cm (1\u00a0ft 11.5\u00a0in) tall on 12 Jun 2011 in Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. HUMANS 77","HUMANS Subdermal forehead implants. According to Maria, they Skin Deep represent a queen\u2019s crown Known as the \u201cMexican Vampire Lady\u201d, Exposed titanium Maria Jos\u00e9 Cristerna (MEX) is a lawyer- horn\u00a0implants turned-tattooist and mother of four whose extreme body makeover resulted Four upper-nose bars in\u00a0her\u00a0travelling\u00a0the\u00a0world to tell her story. Left eyebrow has Maria got her \ufb01rst tattoo at the age of\u00a014 and 10 piercings now has the most body modi\ufb01cations (female) \u2013\u00a049. She embarked upon a Eyes coloured campaign of self-transformation to powder blue present herself as a warrior and strong female role model. Referring Nose ring chained to her skin as \u201ccarpet\u201d, Maria uses to\u00a0left earring her tattoos as a kind of graphic autobiography \u2013 e.g., the stars on Dental fang her face refer to her late mother. implants complete vampyric look Right eyebrow has nine\u00a0piercings Both earlobes have been\u00a0expanded Three piercings in\u00a0lower lip Total tattoo coverage of\u00a096% Subdermal (i.e., under the\u00a0skin) implants 78","HUMANS Subdermal Rolf Buchholz (DEU) is the reigning king of horn implants body modi\ufb01cations. The IT consultant is a A total of 37\u00a0piercings across relatively late starter: he received his \ufb01rst both eyebrows tattoo and piercing on the same day, aged 40. He went on to\u00a0transform himself from head to toe. A total of 111 piercings around\u00a0lips and mouth Rolf now sports 481\u00a0piercings plus 35\u00a0implants and other mods. This total of\u00a0516 \u2013 the most body Three piercings around modi\ufb01cations (male) \u2013 was veri\ufb01ed on 12\u00a0Dec 2012. the\u00a0nipple The\u00a0most painful? The tattoos on his palms. After two decades of relentless body modding, Rolf\u00a0is still looking out for new challenges and ways\u00a0to reinvent himself. In recent years, he has adopted a stringent \ufb01tness regime and\u00a0has completed four marathons in two years. Scari\ufb01cation across the\u00a0skin\u00a0on the face Left ear has 18 piercings, with\u00a015 in the right Earlobes have been\u00a0expanded Total tattoo coverage of\u00a090% across the body Six subdermal implants in left wrist paIitrseeir4sccT,oaii0hnnrl0esdgtro0shae\u00a0eryosaeefBfrfaaneeirbrorselbseanea.gccoek.d Magnetic implants in the \ufb01ngertips of the right hand 79","HUMANS Oldest\u2026 Person to release a debut album Colin Thackery (UK, b.\u00a09\u00a0Mar 1930) was 89\u00a0years 195\u00a0days old when his \ufb01rst album, Love Changes Everything, was released on 20\u00a0Sep 2019. The singing octogenarian was the winner of the 13th series of the TV show Britain\u2019s Got Talent (ITV, UK). Serving monarch Person to row across an ocean solo YouTube gamer Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth\u00a0II (UK, Graham Walters (UK, b.\u00a017\u00a0Jul 1947) was As of 25 Nov 2019, Hamako Mori (JPN, b.\u00a018\u00a0Feb b.\u00a021\u00a0Apr 1926) celebrated her 94th aged 72\u00a0years 192\u00a0days when he set out 1930) was posting clips to her \u201cGamer Grandma\u201d birthday in 2020. She had succeeded from the Canary Islands to row the Atlantic, YouTube channel at the age of 89\u00a0years 280\u00a0days. to the throne on 6 Feb 1952, making arriving in Antigua on 29\u00a0Apr 2020. He made Hamako, who counts Call of Duty, Resident Evil and her the longest-reigning queen, his voyage in the George Geary, which was Grand Theft Auto among her gaming repertoire, having ruled for 68 years 75 days named after his grandfather. It was the \ufb01fth has amassed more than 150,000\u00a0subscribers as of her birthday. She became the time that Graham had rowed the Atlantic, and\u00a08\u00a0million views. oldest monarch on 23\u00a0Jan 2015, aged and his third solo effort. 88\u00a0years 277\u00a0days, after the death of Saudi Arabia\u2019s King Abdullah. Tandem parachute jump (female) Conductor On 15\u00a0Aug 2019, Kathryn \u201cKitty\u201d Frank Emond (USA, b.\u00a021\u00a0May 1918) was Person to reach No.1 on the Hodges (USA, b.\u00a09\u00a0Apr 1916) leapt aged 101\u00a0years 6\u00a0days when he conducted UK\u2019s\u00a0Of\ufb01cial\u00a0Singles Chart out of a plane 10,000\u00a0ft (3,048\u00a0m) \u201cThe Stars and Stripes Forever\u201d at the On 30\u00a0Apr 2020, \u201cCaptain Tom\u201d Moore above Snohomish in Washington, Pensacola Civic Band\u2019s Memorial Day (UK,\u00a0b.\u00a030\u00a0Apr 1920) debuted at No.1 at the USA, at the age of 103\u00a0years 128\u00a0days. Concert on 27\u00a0May 2019 in Florida, USA. age of exactly\u00a0100 with \u201cYou\u2019ll Never Walk A Navy Band horn player and conductor Alone\u201d, featuring Michael Ball and The NHS The intrepid centenarian was inspired from 1938 to 1968, Frank was\u00a0on board the Voices of Care Choir (both UK). The former by her son, Walter \u2013 himself a keen USS\u00a0Pennsylvania during the attack on Pearl British Army of\ufb01cer rose to prominence skydiver. Kitty claimed not to be nervous Harbor in\u00a01941. He began\u00a0conducting the when he set himself the challenge of making before being strapped up with a diving Pensacola Civic Band\u00a0in 2011. 100\u00a0laps of his 25-m-long (82-ft) garden instructor. \u201cIt\u2019s fun,\u201d she declared, \u201cso during the COVID-19 pandemic. The same why not have some fun? Hallelujah!\u201d Beauty advisor day saw the end of his campaign, which A beauty director at the Rijyo shop in generated over \u00a332.79\u00a0m ($40.82\u00a0m) Hiroshima, Japan, Kikue Fukuhara (JPN, for the NHS \u2013 the most money raised b.\u00a031\u00a0Mar 1920) was still working aged by a charity walk (individual). 99\u00a0years 171\u00a0days as of 18\u00a0Sep 2019. She survived the atomic bombing of the city on 6\u00a0Aug 1945 and in 1960 joined the POLA cosmetics \ufb01rm. \u201cFor make-up, there\u2019s no day that I slack off out of 365\u00a0days,\u201d she said. It\u2019s always important to keep up personal appearances.\u201d Person to cycle from Land\u2019s End tKh\u201ciitnIwttgy\u2019hsst!oton\u201dhowdseraoimjtiunduamenalsupfsfos.reuriedanld Competitive to\u00a0John o\u2019 Groats (female) footbag player Mavis Margaret Paterson (UK, Ken Moller (USA, b.\u00a014\u00a0Jul b.\u00a024\u00a0May 1938; left) was aged 81\u00a0years 1947) competed in the 2019 US 29\u00a0days when she reached John Open Footbag Championships o\u2019\u00a0Groats in northern Scotland on in Boston, Massachusetts, 22\u00a0Jun 2019. She had set out from the USA, aged 72\u00a0years 34\u00a0days. Cornish coast in south-west England He was introduced to the on 30\u00a0May. Her\u00a0friend Heather Curley game in his 40s, when his son 80 accompanied her on the ride. brought it back from university, and competed in his \ufb01rst hacky-sack competition in 2009 at the age of 61. Ken practises for\u00a0up to an hour most days.","Band As of their gig on 27\u00a0Oct 2019, the Golden\u00a0Senior Trio (JPN, formed 2008) had\u00a0an average age of 87\u00a0years 132\u00a0days: Naoteru Nabeshima on vibraphone (93\u00a0years 166\u00a0days), Zensho Otsuka on piano\u00a0(85\u00a0years 254\u00a0days) and Naosuke Miyamoto on bass (82\u00a0years 348\u00a0days). Woman Vogue cover model Dentist Kane Tanaka (JPN, b.\u00a02\u00a0Jan 1903) was Actress Dame Judi Dench (UK, b. 9\u00a0Dec As of 26\u00a0Feb 2020, Seiji Sakanashi aged 117\u00a0years 131 days as of 12\u00a0May 2020 in 1934) appeared on the front of the June (JPN, b.\u00a024\u00a0May 1923) was receiving Fukuoka, Japan. In Jan 2020, she celebrated her 2020 edition of British Vogue \u2013 published patients \ufb01ve days a week aged 117th\u00a0birthday at a nursing home with friends, on 7\u00a0May \u2013 at the age of 85\u00a0years 150\u00a0days. 96\u00a0years 278\u00a0days in Suginami, family and \u201ctasty\u201d birthday cake. She is currently Dame Judi also holds the overall record for Tokyo, Japan. Seiji still has some also the oldest living person. The oldest person most\u00a0Laurence Olivier Awards won (8). way\u00a0to go to match the oldest doctor ever, Jeanne Louise Calment (FRA, b. 21\u00a0Feb 1875), ever \u2013 Dr Leila Denmark (USA, died on 4\u00a0Aug 1997, aged 122 years 164 days. Heli-skier 1898\u20132012), who retired in\u00a0May\u00a02001 Heli-skiers are taken up mountains by at the age of\u00a0103! helicopter before skiing down them. On 28\u00a0Mar 2019, Gordon Precious (CAN, As we went to press, the oldest known patient b.\u00a026\u00a0May 1924) skied down the Cariboo to have survived COVID-19 was 113-year-old Mountains in British Columbia, Canada, Mar\u00eda Branyas (b. 4 Mar 1907) of Girona, Spain. aged 94\u00a0years 306\u00a0days. Quali\ufb01er for a National Hot Rod Man Association (NHRA) elimination round Robert Weighton (UK, b. 29\u00a0Mar 1908) was Drag racer Chris Karamesines (USA, 112\u00a0years 1\u00a0day old when veri\ufb01ed on 30 Mar 2020 b.\u00a011\u00a0Nov 1931) was 87 years 335\u00a0days in\u00a0Alton, Hampshire, UK. He spent World War\u00a0II when he made it to the elimination round in Canada and the USA \u2013 where he worked with of the NHRA Carolina Nationals on 12 Oct the American Secret Service \u2013 before returning 2019. His top race speed is 504.54\u00a0km\/h to the UK. Robert became the oldest man (313.51\u00a0mph), which he set in 2015 aged 83. following the passing of Chitetsu Watanabe (JPN, b.\u00a05\u00a0Mar 1907, below) on\u00a023\u00a0Feb 2020. Pair of siblings (male) The oldest man ever, Jiroemon Kimura Portugal\u2019s Andrade brothers \u2013 Albano (JPN, b. 19\u00a0Apr 1897), passed away on 12\u00a0Jun (b.\u00a014\u00a0Dec 1909) and Alberto (b.\u00a02\u00a0Dec 2013 aged 116\u00a0years 54\u00a0days. 1911, both PRT) \u2013 had an aggregate age of 216\u00a0years 230\u00a0days, as veri\ufb01ed on 2\u00a0Apr 2019 in Santa\u00a0Maria\u00a0da Feira, Aveiro, Portugal. Albano is the oldest living man in Portugal. The brothers still live together in the family home in which they were born. Married couple Top 10 oldest living people As of 27\u00a0Dec 2019, John Henderson (b.\u00a024\u00a0Dec 1912) and # Name Date of birth Age his wife Charlotte (b.\u00a08\u00a0Nov 1914) 117 y 131 d of Austin, Texas, USA, had a 1 Kane Tanaka (JPN) 2 Jan 1903 116 y 91 d combined\u00a0age of 212\u00a0years 52\u00a0days. 115 y 119 d They met in 1934 and married in 2 Lucile Randon (FRA) 22 Feb 1904 115 y 101 d 1939. On 22\u00a0Dec 2019, Charlotte 114 y 271 d and John celebrated their oak 114 y 258 d (80th) wedding anniversary, aged 114 y 191 d 105\u00a0and\u00a0106 years respectively. 113 y 337 d 113 y 301 d 3 Jeanne Bot (FRA) 14 Jan 1905 113 y 301 d 4 Shigeyo Nakachi (JPN) 1 Feb 1905 5 Hester Ford (USA) 15 Aug 1905 cowulodrdbrmaeoJynoraRnatanlosnoyibn\u00a0n1Hteh1tBrohe2trc\u00a0ei-woqtysaluaedaiasnaemrr.sd-et, 6 Iris Westman (USA) 28 Aug 1905 7 Mina Kitagawa (JPN) 3 Nov 1905 8 Tekla Juniewicz (UKR) 10 Jun 1906 =9 Anne Brasz-Later (NLD) 16 Jul 1906 =9 Irene Dutton (USA) 16 Jul 1906 Source: Gerontology Research Group, as of 12 May 2020; all female 81","HUMANS Round-Up First successful separation of conjoined twins Swiss surgeon Johannes Fatio separated two conjoined twins in Basel, Switzerland, in a three- stage operation ending on 3\u00a0Dec 1689. The patients were a pair of girls named Elisabet and Catherina who were joined at the sternum. Both siblings recovered fully from the surgery and were soon feeding normally. Most generations born on the same day Most premature baby Most premature twins Six families have members of four generations James Elgin Gill was born Kambry and Keeley Ewoldt (left to right, both with the same birthday. The youngest record- to Brenda and James Gill USA) were born on 24\u00a0Nov 2018 at the University breaker in this category is Lori Peeler (USA), who (all CAN) on 20\u00a0May\u00a01987\u00a0in of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City, USA. The was born on 13\u00a0Aug 2017. She shares her birthday Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. twins shared a gestational age of 22\u00a0weeks 1\u00a0day, with her mother (1980), grandfather (1950) and He was 128\u00a0days premature or 155\u00a0days, meaning that they were 125\u00a0days great-grandmother (1926), all shown above. and weighed 624\u00a0g (1\u00a0lb 6\u00a0oz), premature. The estimated delivery date for nearly six times lighter than the baby girls had been 29\u00a0Mar 2019. the average birth weight. Most consecutive Shortest competitive bodybuilder Loudest burp boy\/girl births in a family Vince Brasco (USA) stands 127\u00a0cm (4\u00a0ft 2\u00a0in) tall. Paul Hunn (UK) has reigned The Ewers family from He was born with achondroplasia, a condition for 20 years as the \u201cBurper Chicago, Illinois, USA, that gives rise to shortened limbs. Vince endured King\u201d, having \ufb01rst set a experienced a sequence of 15\u00a0major surgical operations during his childhood, record for his deafening 11\u00a0births in which a boy was after which he turned to weightlifting as a way eructations in May 2000. His followed by a girl between to build up his muscles. Known as \u201cMini Hulk\u201d, last of\ufb01cial burp, measured 1955 and 1975. The run was he made his debut in the bantamweight category on 23\u00a0Aug 2009 in Bognor veri\ufb01ed on 23\u00a0Feb 2018. at the 2014 NPC (National Physique Committee) Regis, in West Sussex, UK, Pittsburgh Championships in Pennsylvania, USA. reached 109.9 decibels. First mother-child supercentenarians Vince occasionally volunteers at his local \ufb01re Longest tattoo session Supercentenarians are station in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, also making Tattoo artist Aleksandr people who have reached, him the\u00a0shortest \ufb01re\ufb01ghter. Pakostin (RUS) carried out or passed, the age of 110. a 60-hr 30-min session Mary P Romero Zielke Cota at his studio in Vologda, (USA, b.\u00a01870) died in 1982 Russia, ending on 12\u00a0Sep aged 112 years 17 days. Her 2019. In that time, he inked daughter, Rosabell Zielke 15\u00a0tattoos on 12 people. Champion Fenstermaker (USA, b. 1893), was equally Most tattoos of the long-lived, eventually same cartoon character passing away in 2005 at the Nikolay Belyanskiy (RUS) age of 111 years 344 days. had 52 tattoos of Rick, from Rick and Morty (Adult Swim, USA), inked on to his body Lightest birth in a single nine-and-a-half- As rati\ufb01ed by the hour sitting in Moscow, Tiniest Babies Russia. The count was Registry, the lowest con\ufb01rmed on 31\u00a0Aug 2019. known birth weight for a surviving infant is 245\u00a0g (8.6\u00a0oz) in the case of \u201cSaybie\u201d (USA; real name protected for privacy reasons). Weighing only about the same as a cooking apple, she was delivered by emergency Caesarian section in Dec 2018 at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital in San Diego, California, USA. She had had a gestation of just 23\u00a0weeks 3\u00a0days. Vince began bodybuilding partly to give himself greater control over his body mass. Extra weight can result in 82 back and joint problems for those with dwar\ufb01sm.","Longest-lived quadriplegic Longest hair HUMANS At the age of 19 in 1959, The locks of Xie Qiuping while on his way home from (CHN) measured 5.627\u00a0m 83 a Thanksgiving trip, Walter (18\u00a0ft 5.5\u00a0in) on 8 May 2004. Lewis (USA, b.\u00a017\u00a0Sep She has been growing her 1940) was involved in hair since 1973, when she a car crash that left was aged 13. Beyond the him paralysed. In 2019, scalp, though, there are Lewis \u2013 now a resident other lengthy individual of Gautier, Mississippi, hairs to be\u00a0lauded, including: USA \u2013 celebrated his \u2022 Ear: 18.1\u00a0cm (7.1\u00a0in), 79th birthday, and on 23\u00a0Mar 2020, Anthony Victor (IND) he was con\ufb01rmed as\u00a0of\u00a026\u00a0Aug 2007. as the longest-lived \u2022 Leg: 22.5\u00a0cm (8.8\u00a0in), quadriplegic \u2013 a total of Jason\u00a0Allen (USA) as of 60\u00a0years 115 days after 25\u00a0May 2015. his accident took place. \u2022 Chest: 28.2\u00a0cm (11.1\u00a0in), Vittorio Lullo (ITA) as of Tallest NBA player 6 Sep 2019. Tacko Fall (SEN, below) made his National Largest hands on a teenager Largest afro (female) Basketball Association The humongous hands of 17-year-old Lars Motza On 31 Mar 2012, the debut for the Boston (DEU) each span 23.3\u00a0cm (9.1\u00a0in) from the wrist to afro belonging to Aevin Celtics on 26\u00a0Oct 2019. the tip of the middle \ufb01nger. They were measured Dugas (USA) was measured He is 226\u00a0cm (7\u00a0ft 5\u00a0in) in Berlin, Germany, on 12\u00a0Dec 2019. Lars also at 16\u00a0cm (6.3 in) high from tall with a standing boasts the largest feet on a teenager.\u00a0His left foot the crown of the head, with reach of 311\u00a0cm (10\u00a0ft is 35.05\u00a0cm (1\u00a0ft 1.8\u00a0in) long and his right is 34.9\u00a0cm a total circumference of 2.4\u00a0in), meaning he (1\u00a0ft\u00a01.7\u00a0in), as veri\ufb01ed on 19\u00a0Nov 2018. His shoes 1.39\u00a0m (4 ft 7 in). You can see can dunk a basketball are\u00a0size 57 (EUR), which is 20 (UK) or 21 (US). Aevin on p.84, alongside the without jumping! shortest woman. The title of tallest Longest colour sequence World Memory Sports Council NBA player ever is memorized Since 1991, the WMSC has overseen the competitive World Memory tied between Gheorghe Subhash Mogili (IND) Championships. Participants are tested on their ability to memorize Mure\u015fan (ROM) and committed to memory various categories of information within a limited time frame. Manute Bol (USA, b. a\u00a0series of 170 colours SDN). Both stood at in Hyderabad, India, on Most spoken numbers 547 Ryu Song I (PRK) 231\u00a0cm (7\u00a0ft\u00a07\u00a0in). 12\u00a0Jun 2019. The test memorized at a rate of requires the competitor to one per second recall a sequence of four colours \u2013 generated by a Most decimal digits memorized 616 Wei Qinru (CHN) software package \u2013 that are in \ufb01ve minutes displayed randomly within a set time. For\u00a0more feats Most decimal digits memorized 4,620 Ryu Song I of remarkable recall, don\u2019t in one hour forget to see the table, right. Most binary digits memorized 7,485 Ryu Song I in 30 minutes Most playing cards memorized 2,530 Kim Surim (PRK) in one hour Fastest time to memorize and 13.96 \u00a0sec Zou Lujian (CHN) recall a deck of playing cards Most historical dates recalled 154 Prateek Yadav Imm Igm in \ufb01ve minutes (IND) Most names and faces 187 Yanjindulam Altansuh memorized in 15 minutes (SWE) Most abstract images 804 Hu Jiabao (CHN) memorized in 15 minutes Most random words memorized 335 Prateek Yadav Imm Igm in 15 minutes Tallest Mohican Joseph Grisamore (USA) has grown a 108.2-cm-tall (3-ft 6.5-in) Mohawk, as veri\ufb01ed on 20\u00a0Sep 2019 at the\u00a0Family Hair Affair salon in Park Rapids, Minnesota, USA. The gravity-defying \u2019do was sculpted by hair stylist Kay Jettman (far right) \u2013 assisted by\u00a0Joseph\u2019s mother Kay (near right) and wife Laura \u2013 using\u00a0half\u00a0a\u00a0can\u00a0of\u00a0his favourite hairspray! Fall has a two-way contract with the Boston Celtics and the Maine Red Claws. He\u2019s seen here with 178-cm-tall (5-ft 10-in) Red Claws teammate Tremont Waters.","HUMANS HUMANS HJAyLLOoOFtFiAMAEmge (622f.t80\u00a0c.7m\u00a0in)SAhaicvetacdesnnswowJropdbcOraayvoaederHgsnJonimrciiyesDatbno\ufb01gihbioibaehsstroghsseetAeeltapemrAmiM-tratdcG6smnirseowhstt1au\u00a0.a2IiaWsuttaeszon8hagmoAnhrh.tlwlrhre8nstolen\u00a0eeRteoeNseiAhedho\u00a0afgrdnescs\u00a0jt1hWmfweruembeiaubmcmdPa6obatNrwrnveohrbeieemoa\u00a0fblyesDroriasctror(sschtYwdvtii2iltgoogieekthokhlicdtuohele\u00a0irmnprchqiayflsehod\u2019rranket,ttso,uhnuak1nhhaatnrmsaitsJ0wnreehn9,yrHhhordytCt.,bRndo79.hgeonpreoetow\u2013isicSts3\u00a0thaetartagiaGhtwlwhiyht1hinaSntreyrenni,od6Wafohecnaeeau)hjda\ufb01Udtrarir\u00a0hanrsvatpoeDiwrmNtirneRaSeccSeest.rapeeeeo.lataAtaaldsogcrbslrgurcoInsh,tg,hmouonntereSr\u2013thnJm2epyefhnvoysswoepyeos2idw0usiweosnswiovafeu,d0o1wrnrauehfbtekcathanea,1a1micdhloetriygitIs4dbntedeawhnh\u2013rnrsaeawr,hjltsllewegeetoedansidsnJoatoiti.isJyhitthirt\u2013fnyd.n(atyhoooesoe\ufb01h.iossttlefnrafvehwihttheeugaieefeooeaolwb.lt\ufb01frrlldBrheeialMlmorzdludelsoeewe\u2019at,shwwdo\u00a0nPisf)tha.ehUetcoirSrtredotsewr\u2013hesdomtawmaacktirnegss. jetowcm\u00a0bAelmouelllltceahcohrduefyesosJ\u2013.tfy\u2013ohohmaetanir-v\u2019sde FHignaudlilnoounf tFemsasmowreeosraelbcdotriueotcnJoayrtodwtsi .wicnowtmh. e\/2021","1 4 2 1(:U2AS:AhS\u00a0sa)h,hiaoro-rwrritnnaKeieghssrtitanhomgfgee3tansm:hpnpSdeeyoerK(ertmae\u00f6ltamii\u00a0iThslmngo4RnVaaehahbg:eogrinnsatMidndgtw\u00a0lpwht(saeeereThaieitz)siaitgte,Unu2htMsshNu5aeRuiEAaegtel1fr)hg\u00a0azgher,pl\u00a0ic\u2019eayanotvtsHahmsprr.igflJneoeg\u2019ta(seursr(etwDi8nempsst\u00a0iue\u00e1\u00a0hofttttetgnhonaepfr2aedl.GSO8l.see8eui3rtzz\u00a0sl.li),atant.awn)n.hdoo 85 3 JtyKhote\u00f64atjisl0huylAe.eoes5nmrtiu5got(\u2019-grhshvceeetaem\u00a0eorinrsef3t(JaaT1w)e,d-luiifmaisctrnnoek3ogdn\u00a0is.a9srtosHh6iengt-extalhiriynalttnlac)1n\u00e1atnr.ol5nsiygSwdtthauhie.mtlezqtf\u2019aueGsonsaoWrtRt(e4br)!ooSofhket\u2019hsat 100% 84","AGAINST THE CLOCK Most cones hit with flying discs in one minute On 11\u00a0Oct 2017, trick-shot maestro Brodie Smith (USA) struck 13\u00a0cones with flying discs in 60\u00a0sec in Brooklyn, New\u00a0York City, USA. The same event saw the YouTube star (his channel has 2.2\u00a0million-plus subscribers) register the most drink cans hit with\u00a0flying discs in one minute \u2013 31 \u2013 and secure the longest flying disc target throw, passing it into a basketball hoop from 46.33\u00a0m (152\u00a0ft) away. Of course, a strong arm and an aptitude for judging distances are vital to anyone striving to top Brodie\u2019s achievements. But competing within a timeframe adds an extra dimension of tension. In\u00a0this chapter, you\u2019ll meet a range of record holders who know how to keep a cool head when the seconds are ticking down. You\u2019ll also hear from our adjudicators, who\u2019ve picked out \ufb01ve\u00a0challenges that you can try at home. Are you Of\ufb01cially Amazing? It\u2019s time to \ufb01nd out, as you pit yourself against the clock\u2026 86","\u201c DESTINATIONS 88 In 30 Seconds 90 In a Minute 92 In an Hour 94 In a Day 96 Round-Up \u201c I\u2019d rather be poor and do what I love than rich and hate what I do. 87","AGAINST THE CLOCK \u201c IN 30 SECONDS For me, breaking records means working Italy\u2019s Silvio Sabba is a serial record-breaker (he\u2019s even got a to become the very Guinness World Records tattoo on his arm to prove it!) and he best in the world in loves nothing more than a challenge against the clock. He holds a whatever I do. Record- host of 30-second record titles, including the most dice stacked breaking is\u00a0not a hobby into a tower (38) and most pencils stood on end (23). Lightning- for me, but a job. fast reactions and a steady hand have helped Silvio, a personal \u201c trainer, become a familiar face in the GWR books. If you want to try to\u00a0match his records, you\u2019ve got a long way to go \u2013 one way\u00a0to start is by trying your hand at the most tins stacked in 30\u00a0seconds: see right to \ufb01nd out how... Most dominoes stacked in 30 seconds On 28\u00a0Apr 2013, Silvio stacked 48\u00a0dominoes in half a minute in Milan, Italy. This was equalled by Rocco Mercurio (ITA) on 25\u00a0Feb\u00a02019. Silvio is also responsible for the fastest time to build a \ufb01ve-level domino pyramid (pictured) \u2013 18.40\u00a0sec, on 11\u00a0Dec 2012 in Pioltello, Italy. Most sticky notes stuck on the face in 30\u00a0seconds On 18\u00a0Apr 2018, Silvio af\ufb01xed 38\u00a0sticky notes to his face in half a minute. Each note had to be placed one at a time, with the adhesive strips placed directly on to the skin. The notes had to stay stuck for a further 10\u00a0sec after the time limit had ended to count. 88","MOST CANS STACKED INTO HALF-A-MINUTE HEROES: A PYRAMID IN 30\u00a0SECONDS RECORDS SET IN 30 SECONDS You have half a minute to build \u2022 Start with your chosen hand flat Most socks the highest possible pyramid next to the cans. Only one can at a put\u00a0on\u00a0one\u00a0foot formation of tins. Can you hold time is to be stacked. On 10\u00a0Oct 2017, Slovakia\u2019s your nerve \u2013 and keep your hand Pavol Durdik slipped on 28\u00a0socks steady \u2013 as the clock ticks round? \u2022 All the cans must be stacked over his right foot in 30\u00a0sec in If you want your effort to count, facing the right way up \u2013 i.e., with P\u00fachov,\u00a0Slovakia. He beat the be careful to follow adjudicator the base of the first can on the previous record \u2013 which he shared Adam\u2019s guidelines below. With building surface, and the base of with Mr Cherry, aka Cherry Yoshitake the right \u201ccan-do\u201d attitude, a each subsequent can touching the (JPN) \u2013 by two. All socks had to be GWR title could be yours! top of the one below it. pulled up above the ankle joint to count towards the \ufb01nal total. \u2022 A can pyramid is a formation in \u2022 The pyramid must be made so Most skips on rollerskates which cans are stacked in layers there is a single can on the top On 19\u00a0May 2019, Zorawar Singh and each layer has fewer cans than layer at the end of the 30 seconds. (IND) jumped a rope 135\u00a0times the one below \u2013 e.g., 4, 3, 2, 1 \u2013 to form a structure with sloping sides \u2022 The pyramid needs to be stable in half a minute in Delhi, India. and a single-can point at the top. enough to stand alone for 5 sec He beat his own record, set the once the clock has stopped. If previous year, by three. Zorawar \u2022 Cans used for this record must be any can falls from the pyramid is the proud owner of two commercially available and with in that time, the attempt will be GWR\u00a0titles, having also achieved their lids intact. The diameter must disqualified. the most double-under frogs in not be less than 12\u00a0cm (4.7\u00a0in) and 30\u00a0seconds \u2013 14 \u2013 on 19\u00a0May the height must not be less than \u2022 You may take a pause or break 2019,\u00a0also in Delhi. 16\u00a0cm (6.2\u00a0in). during the attempt, but the clock must not be stopped under any Most circles around the \u2022 Any number of cans may be used circumstance. leg with a basketball during the attempt. Luis Diego Soto Villa (MEX) For the full set of of\ufb01cial circled a basketball around his \u2022 You can only use one hand for GWR guidelines, go to leg 70\u00a0times in 30\u00a0sec on 16\u00a0May this record attempt. The other is guinnessworldrecords. 2018 in Nicol\u00e1s Romero, Mexico. to remain behind your back for the com\/2021. Luis is the holder of several duration of the attempt. freestyle basketball GWR titles, including longest time spinning three basketballs \u2013 17.8\u00a0sec. \u2022 Ahead of the attempt Most popcorn moved by a straw starting, all cans must On 24\u00a0Jul 2019, using just lung be placed on their side power and a drinking straw, Ruby on the ground or table Fothergill (UK, left, with GWR\u2019s upon which the attempt Anna Orford) transferred 25\u00a0pieces is\u00a0being\u00a0performed. of popcorn through a 3-cm-wide (1.1-in) hole and into a receptacle. Steady as you go! Her 30-sec record was equalled by Although stacking as quickly as Taya Frearson (UK) two days later \u2013 possible is the name of the game, also in Blackpool, Lancashire, UK. remember that your tower has to stay upright for 5\u00a0sec after the time limit to Most mustard drunk count. With practice and preparation, from a tube you can work out the best way to keep Andr\u00e9 Ortolf (DEU) guzzled your structure of tins stable. Remember down 416\u00a0g (14.7\u00a0oz) of mustard from a tube in 30\u00a0sec on 5\u00a0Jan \u2013\u00a0you only have half 2015 in Schwarzach, Germany. a minute, so The serial record-breaker has make sure a taste for the hot stuff: on\u00a08\u00a0Aug that every 2019, he reclaimed his GWR title second for fastest time to drink 200\u00a0ml counts! of\u00a0mustard \u2013 11.79 sec. 89","AGAINST THE CLOCK \u201c IN A MINUTE We\u2019re not average people that get You can do a lot in a minute. Take Eli Bishop (USA), who can clap up, put a suit on his hands 1,103\u00a0times. Then there\u2019s Daisuke Mimura (JPN), who and go to work... skipped over a rope 348\u00a0times, while Gaber Kahlwai Gaber Ali We get up and (EGY) did 67\u00a0cartwheels. Taekwondo instructors Chris and Lisa smash things! Pitman (both UK, pictured) prefer to smash things with their \ufb01sts \u201c of steel. Their pine-board-breaking exploits below might only have taken 60\u00a0seconds, but they required years of dedicated training to achieve. If you want to attempt a record with slightly fewer physical demands, how about the most cocktail sticks snapped in one minute? See right for more... Most pine boards broken\u00a0in\u00a0one minute with\u00a0one\u00a0hand On 9\u00a0Apr 2018, Chris Pitman broke 315\u00a0pine boards in 60\u00a0sec in Bromley, Kent, UK, while his wife Lisa took the female title with\u00a0230. Both Pitmans are experienced taekwondo practitioners and already held GWR titles for smashing roof tiles. \u201cBut breaking wood is a different experience,\u201d according to Lisa and Chris, \u201cas\u00a0the edges can be sharp. You have\u00a0to train to condition the bones in\u00a0your hands \u2013 and we have the scars\u00a0to prove it!\u201d 90","MOST COCKTAIL STICKS ONE-MINUTE SNAPPED\u00a0IN\u00a0ONE\u00a0MINUTE WONDERS Could your 60-second skills earn \u2022 A digital stopwatch must be used. Most dominoes stacked on you a place in the GWR annals? one vertical domino Find out by taking a crack (or \u2022 The time will start\u00a0after a On 16\u00a0Jan 2019, Silvio Sabba should that be snap?) at this 3,\u00a02,\u00a01\u00a0countdown. (ITA) balanced 52\u00a0dominoes on top brand-new record. You have one of a vertical domino in Rodano, Milan, minute to snap as many cocktail \u2022 Only one cocktail stick may be Italy. Silvio, one of GWR\u2019s most proli\ufb01c sticks as possible \u2013 but if you snapped at a time. record-breakers (see pp.88\u201389), want your effort to count, make surpassed his own mark of\u00a045, set in sure you listen to adjudicator \u2022 Each cocktail stick must be Dec\u00a02017, by seven. The stack had to Lou\u2019s guidelines: snapped in two (with a clean break, stand unsupported for 5\u00a0sec after the and the sticks in two separate time limit for the record to count. \u2022 The cocktail sticks used must be pieces), using only your hands commercially available. Details and\u00a0\ufb01ngers. Most magic tricks regarding the size and type of performed\u00a0blindfolded cocktail sticks must be submitted \u2022 Only cocktail sticks clearly Magician Martin Rees (UK) along with the claim. broken\u00a0into two separate pieces performed 24\u00a0tricks unsighted in within the one-minute timeframe 60\u00a0sec on 29\u00a0May 2019 at GWR \u2022 Each cocktail stick must be laid will count towards the \ufb01nal total. HQ in London, UK. The intrepid out on a table or similar flat surface illusionist currently holds four prior to the start of the attempt. \u2022 Make sure you \ufb01lm your record GWR titles, including most magic attempt from start to \ufb01nish. tricks performed in a single \u2022 Your hands must be placed on The\u00a0camera must be focused skydive \u2013 11. the table, palms down, prior to the on\u00a0the attempt at all times attempt. The \ufb01rst cocktail stick and\u00a0preferably kept static. Most wet sponges cannot be handled until the clock thrown (team of two) has started. \u2022 A predetermined loud start and Bipin Larkin threw 76 wet \ufb01nish signal recognized by all sponges at Ashrita Furman (both participants must be used. USA) on 5\u00a0Feb 2019 in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia. Each sponge had \u2022 There must be two independent to be hurled 3\u00a0m (9\u00a0ft 10\u00a0in) to hit witnesses present to oversee the Ashrita in the face. Bipin and Ashrita record attempt. are one of the great duos of record- breaking, with more than 40 team If you\u2019ve read this far, GWR titles to their names. Find out you\u00a0should be ready to get more about Ashrita overleaf. snapping! To receive the full set of\u00a0of\ufb01cial GWR\u00a0guidelines, Most diabolo spins around arm register your\u00a0application now\u00a0at On 2\u00a0May 2019, Niels Duinker (NLD) guinnessworldrecords.com\/2021 completed 71\u00a0diabolo spins around the arm in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Watch out! USA. Only 360\u00b0 spins of the diabolo The key thing to remember when that went both under and over the attempting this record is that the arm counted towards the total. cocktail sticks MUST be snapped cleanly Niels is a comedy juggler whose in two \u2013 any that remain threaded GWR titles include most shaker together will be discounted from your cups juggled \u2013 14. \ufb01nal total. If you need to pause or take a break during the attempt then that is Most triple \u201caround \ufb01ne (though we don\u2019t recommend it!), but the\u00a0world\u201d ball- once the clock has control\u00a0tricks (male) started it cannot Freestyle footballer Tobias be stopped. Becs, aka Tobias Brandal Bus\u00e6t Good luck, (NOR), performed 13\u00a0triple \u201caround and happy the world\u201d tricks in Oslo, Norway, snapping! on\u00a030\u00a0Sep 2018. Tobias is a multiple Norwegian, European and world champion freestyler. 91","AGAINST THE CLOCK \u201c Attempting records has IN AN HOUR become part of my spiritual journey. I get joy not only in Performing any challenge for an hour requires not only physical practising the activity stamina but great powers of concentration. Just ask Ashrita itself, but also in Furman (USA). A veteran record-breaker with more than 200\u00a0GWR seeing my progress towards achieving a titles to his name at any time, Ashrita devotes once-daunting goal. countless hours to physical and mental training. \u201c The results \u2013 whether it\u2019s the most balloons inflated by the nose in one hour (380), or the most underwater SCUBA rope jumps in one hour (1,608) \u2013 speak for themselves. Follow his example and look right to see if you can claim your \ufb01rst world record. Most tennis balls caught in\u00a0one\u00a0hour On 21\u00a0Jul 2015, Ashrita Furman caught 1,307\u00a0tennis balls in 60\u00a0min in New York City, USA. The attempt required great dexterity and concentration, as each projectile was \ufb01red at a speed of 100\u00a0km\/h (61\u00a0mph) by a tennis-ball machine just 6\u00a0m (19\u00a0ft 8\u00a0in) away from Ashrita. He\u00a0smashed the previous best of 904, set\u00a0by Anthony Kelly (AUS) on 13\u00a0Nov 2011. 92","MOST DOMINOES TOPPLED HEROES OF THE HOUR: IN\u00a0ONE\u00a0HOUR BY A TEAM RECORDS SET IN 60 MIN Toppling dominoes is child\u2019s play \u2022 During the attempt, the Most caber tosses \u2013 but not when the clock is ticking dominoes must all be stacked On 8\u00a0Sep 2018, Reverend and a GWR title is on the line! Can on their smallest edge. The line can Kevin Fast (CAN) tossed a caber you and up to 11 other team- be serpentine or straight. 122\u00a0times at Warkworth Fair in mates keep your cool and set up Ontario, Canada. The\u00a0powerlifting an awesome arrangement of the \u2022 The setting up of the dominoes priest has a host of Herculean classic rectangular game tiles? must be completed within the GWR titles, including the heaviest Make sure you follow adjudicator one-hour time frame; the toppling aircraft\u00a0pulled\u00a0\u2013 188.83\u00a0tonnes Christelle\u2019s guidelines: should then take place once the (416,299\u00a0lb) \u2013 set\u00a0on\u00a017\u00a0Sep 2009 hour is complete. in\u00a0Trenton, Ontario,\u00a0Canada. \u2022 The record is to be attempted by\u00a0a\u00a0team of up to 12 people. \u2022 If any dominoes fall during the Farthest distance on a penny one-hour set-up, the challengers farthing bicycle (no hands) \u2022 Any commercially available are permitted to re-stack these at Neil Laughton (UK) covered a dominoes can be used, on the any time before the clock stops. distance of 26\u00a0km (16.15\u00a0mi) in condition that they are equal 60\u00a0min on 14\u00a0Nov 2019 at the to or larger than the following \u2022 Challengers may pause or take Preston Park velodrome in Brighton, dimensions: 39 x 19 x 7\u00a0mm a break during the attempt but East Sussex, UK. Neil completed (1.53\u00a0x\u00a00.74 x 0.27\u00a0in). the clock must not stop under almost 45\u00a0laps of the track without any\u00a0circumstance. touching the handlebars with his \u2022 The dominoes must be laid out hands. It was one of three world flat on any surface before the If you\u2019ve read this far, it\u2019s time records he attempted for GWR Day. attempt starts. to\u00a0get toppling! To receive the full\u00a0set of\u00a0of\ufb01cial GWR\u00a0guidelines, Most books toppled \u2022 A predetermined loud start and register your\u00a0application now\u00a0 in\u00a0a\u00a0domino fashion \ufb01nish signal recognized by all at guinnessworldrecords. Kmart Australia took an participants must be used. com\/2021. hour to set up 3,000\u00a0copies of Guinness World Records \u2013 before Toppling records knocking them all over \u2013 at their Knocking over objects in a annual conference on 31\u00a0Oct 2018 domino fashion is proving in Queenstown, New Zealand. A a popular challenge total of 334\u00a0employees took part, for would-be beating the previous best of 2,500, record holders. set by Aconex (AUS) on 20\u00a0Jul 2017. On 3\u00a0Dec 2017, H.\u00a0Frank Carey Most stairs descended High School (USA) in\u00a0a\u00a0wheelchair achieved the most Haki Achille Doku (ITA, b.\u00a0ALB) cereal boxes toppled \u2013 3,416 went down 2,917\u00a0steps in 60\u00a0min (right) \u2013 while confectionary on 27\u00a0Mar 2019 in Seoul, South manufacturer Perfetti Van Melle (UK) Korea. It was the third time he were behind the most mint dispensers had improved on his own world toppled in 3\u00a0min (team record. Haki is a Paralympian of\u00a0100) \u2013 1,365 \u2013 on 26\u00a0Jan who represented Albania at the 2018 (above left). The most 2012\u00a0Games in London, UK. laptops toppled is 520, by Lenovo BT\/IT (CHN) on\u00a027\u00a0Apr 2018 (below). Most pots thrown (individual) On 14\u00a0Nov 2019, Michael Weber (USA) shaped 212\u00a0flowerpots on the potter\u2019s wheel in 60\u00a0min at Sunset Hill Stoneware in Neenah, Wisconsin, USA. He had to fashion each pot from a lump of clay weighing at least 600\u00a0g (1\u00a0lb 5\u00a0oz) using his hands, water, tools and wheel. 93","AGAINST THE CLOCK \u201c IN A DAY Whether they realize it or not, women inspire each other to Australia\u2019s Eva Clarke is a formidable \ufb01tness icon who overcame achieve greatness [\u2026] For any the legacy of a challenging childhood by dedicating herself to girl doubting herself \u2013 stop rigorous workouts and body conditioning. The results speak for thinking and start making an themselves. Eva\u2019s determination has secured her a range action plan to be your best. of endurance records, including the most pull-ups Records are meant to be broken, in 24\u00a0hours (female) \u2013 3,737 \u2013 and the most so go out there and break them! burpees in 24 hours \u2013 12,003. The latter is nearly \u201c 2,000\u00a0more than the male record, held by the UK\u2019s Lee Ryan. Out of all the categories she\u2019s attempted, it\u2019s these day-long feats that Eva \ufb01nds the most demanding. \u201cThey really start to mess with your mindset about eight\u00a0hours into the challenge,\u201d she told GWR. Most chest-to-ground push-up burpees in 24 hours (female) On 23\u00a0Feb 2018, Eva completed 5,555 of these exacting exercises at New York University Abu Dhabi in UAE. The attempt took place during a \ufb01tness challenge, and she credits the crowds and other participants from NYUAD \u2013 some of whom performed 1,000\u00a0burpees themselves at the event \u2013 for encouraging her. Most knuckle push-ups in 24 hours On 1 Feb 2014, Eva completed her favourite GWR achievement: 9,241 knuckle push-ups at Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi, UAE. \u201cIt was the \ufb01rst time I had the courage to take on such a physical feat,\u201d she admits, \u201cand it has led to so many more Guinness World Records titles.\u201d Eva has Kienb\u00f6ck\u2019s disease in her right wrist, which affects the bone tissue, so she does push-ups and burpees on her knuckles. 94","LONGEST ALL IN A DAY\u2019S WORK: PAPER CHAIN 24-HOUR RECORD-BREAKERS MADE IN 24 HOURS BY A TEAM Greatest vertical distance ascended on a pogo stick Even if you don\u2019t have Eva\u2019s make a chain. These paper links On 23 Mar 2019, Lee Griggs (NZ) athletic physique, there are in\u00a0turn must all be joined to make plenty of other 24-hr records a\u00a0continuous paper chain. bounced his way into the record that you can take on. What books when he pogo-sticked about\u00a0assembling a string \u2022 The strips of paper can be pre-cut 1,602\u00a0m (5,255\u00a0ft\u00a010\u00a0in) of\u00a0paper loops? This requires in advance but not pre-linked: up\u00a0Mount Fyffe in Kaikoura, dextrous \ufb01ngers and heaps the entirety of the chain must be New\u00a0Zealand. Lee \u2013 a pogo of\u00a0stamina. Just be sure to stick formed within the 24-hr period. novice \u2013 made the attempt to\u00a0adjudicator Tripp\u2019s rules: Because this is a team record, in aid of the Mental Health participants can create their own Foundation of New Zealand. \u2022 This is a record for a team of shorter chains and join them unlimited size, so you can enlist together, as long as the chains are Most consecutive Scrabble games the\u00a0help of friends and family. all made and joined within 24\u00a0hr Craig Beevers (UK) played and at\u00a0the same venue. 30\u00a0games of Scrabble in a row on \u2022 The chain is to consist of single 13\u201314\u00a0Apr 2015 in Plymouth, UK. strips of paper with maximum \u2022 Measures must be taken to The event took place on National dimensions of 46\u00a0cm (1\u00a0ft 6\u00a0in) guarantee that all challengers can Scrabble Day and was organized by long\u00a0and 4.5\u00a0cm (1.77\u00a0in) wide. be monitored by the independent Scrabble, Mattel UK and Mindsports witnesses (e.g., by assigning International. Craig won 29 of \u2022 Challengers must form each independent stewards, restricting his 30 games, only losing out to paper strip into a link using a hand- the attempt area, etc.) during the fellow competitive Scrabble player held stapler, double-sided sticky day of the attempt. Jesse\u00a0Matthews from Canada. tape or glue. Another strip is then be put through this link, and the \u2022 The full length of the chain Most hair braided ends of this second strip must be must\u00a0be measured and not by an individual stapled\/taped\/glued together to merely\u00a0calculated by Vasugi Manivannan (IND) multiplying the length added braids to 167\u00a0heads of hair of a smaller section. in Chennai, India, from 7\u00a0to 8\u00a0Jun 2019. She washed and dried the hair of each model before braiding it, leaving less than an inch of hair at the end of each braid. Go to guinnessworld Longest individual records.com\/2021 wheelchair push to get the full GWR Graham Inchley (UK) pushed guidelines and register a succession of people in a your\u00a0application. wheelchair for 161.61\u00a0km (100.4\u00a0mi), \ufb01nishing on 29\u00a0Jun Thinking of linking? 2014. The distance represented If time\u2019s not against 44\u00a0laps of Thruxton Race Circuit in you, it\u2019s incredible what Hampshire, UK. Graham\u2019s goal was lengths you can go to\u2026 to raise funds and publicity for the Ben Mooney (UK, above) set a new Association of Young People\u00a0with record for the longest paperclip chain back in ME and the National Autistic Society. 2017, although the current record holder is Imran Sharif (BGD) with a 2,527-m-long (8,290-ft 8-in) Greatest virtual chain. And\u00a0the Davies family (UK, brothers Edward, distance ridden below left, and James are shown) strung together on a static cycle (male) On 22\u201323 Oct 2019, Canada\u2019s the longest chain of Ed\u00a0Veal covered a relative distance conkers, from of 952.12\u00a0km (591.62\u00a0mi) on a 16,847\u00a0nuts, static cycle, in an event sponsored as rati\ufb01ed on by Splunk (USA). The attempt took 1\u00a0Dec\u00a02018. place in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. He used the virtual cycling platform Zwift for the attempt. 95","AGAINST THE CLOCK ROUND-UP In certain rare cases, we monitor records that are attempted outside of our standard time increments, stretching from two minutes to a year to an entire lifetime. Whatever your talent \u2013 whether you can pluck paintballs from the air, pull on underpants in the blink of an eye or braid hair in a blur \u2013 why not test it against\u00a0the clock and see if you too can be of\ufb01cially amazing? If\u00a0you\u2019re unsure where to begin, we\u2019ve got the perfect suggestion\u00a0for you: see right for more... Most participants in an underwater Greatest distance cycled in a year clean-up in 24\u00a0hours (single venue) (WUCA-approved) On 15\u00a0Jun 2019, Dixie Divers (USA) Between 15\u00a0May 2016 and 14\u00a0May 2017, organized a clean-up of Deer\ufb01eld Beach Amanda Coker (USA) rode 139,326\u00a0km Pier in Florida, USA, that involved (86,573.2\u00a0mi). The record was veri\ufb01ed by the 633\u00a0people. More than 544\u00a0kg (1,200\u00a0lb) World UltraCycling Association. Amanda also of rubbish \u2013 largely consisting of \ufb01shing set the fastest time to cycle 100,000\u00a0miles line and lead weights \u2013 was removed (WUCA-approved) \u2013 423\u00a0days, between from the water by the eco-minded 15\u00a0May 2016 and 11\u00a0Jul 2017 \u2013 breaking SCUBA divers. a\u00a077-year-old record. Most items washed up in eight hours On 10\u00a0Jan 2011, Louise Dooey (UK) travelled to the Guinness World Records head of\ufb01ce in London, UK, where she washed up 2,250\u00a0items in 8\u00a0hr. As stated in the guidelines, Louise had to organize the dirty dishes to\u00a0ensure that she washed the same amount of each item. She cleaned 450\u00a0individual dinner plates, bowls, pans, cups and pieces of cutlery. Most bones broken in a lifetime Evel Knievel (USA, b.\u00a0Robert Craig Knievel), the pioneer of motorcycle long-jumping exhibitions, had suffered 433\u00a0bone fractures by the end of 1975. In the winter of 1976, he was seriously injured during a televised attempt to jump over a tank full of sharks at the Chicago Amphitheater. The stunt rider decided to retire from\u00a0major\u00a0performances as a result. 96","MOST BALLOONS BLOWN UP TIME-HONOURED FEATS IN\u00a0THREE MINUTES Most Christmas trees Take a deep breath: it\u2019s your turn \u2022 Inflated and tied-off chopped in two minutes to attempt a GWR title. Have balloons that explode or Erin Lavoie (USA) axed you got the lung power to inflate deflate during the\u00a0three\u00a0minutes 27\u00a0Christmas trees in 120\u00a0sec on as many balloons as possible in will still count towards the total, 19\u00a0Dec 2008 in a televised challenge 180\u00a0seconds? If you don\u2019t want provided they met the minimum in Cologne, Germany. \u201cI love trees, to blow your chances, follow size requirement\u00a0when tied. but I love to kill them too,\u201d she adjudicator Chris\u2019s guidelines: said afterwards. Erin is a CrossFit \u2022 The attempt must be overseen athlete and one of the world\u2019s top \u2022 The record is to be attempted by\u00a0two independent witnesses. lumberjills. She has won multiple by\u00a0individuals only. titles at the Lumberjack World \u2022 Witnesses should count and Championships. \u2022 Commercially available, measure the balloons as soon as standard-sized balloons must they are tied off, in case they do Most sticky notes on the body be used, details of which must explode or deflate later on. in\u00a0\ufb01ve minutes be submitted with the claim. With the help of 22 children and one \u2022 Participants may take a TV presenter, Japanese comedian The\u00a0balloons must have a break during the attempt but Tetsur\u014d Degawa af\ufb01xed 674\u00a0sticky minimum diameter of the clock must not stop under notes to himself on 2\u00a0Feb 2014 on 20\u00a0cm\u00a0(7.8\u00a0in) when any\u00a0circumstances. the set of Grand Whiz-Kids TV (NHK) inflated. in Tokyo, Japan. Tetsur\u014d smashed the previous record of 454, set \u2022 All balloons must be \u2022 A loud start and \ufb01nish signal three\u00a0years\u00a0earlier. inflated by mouth. Arti\ufb01cial recognized by all participants means such as gas pumps or must\u00a0be used. Most baked beans compressors may not be used. eaten\u00a0in \ufb01ve minutes Enough about the rules \u2013 it\u2019s time with\u00a0a cocktail stick to get blowing. To receive the full David Rush (USA) gobbled down set of\u00a0of\ufb01cial GWR\u00a0guidelines, 275\u00a0baked beans using a cocktail register your\u00a0application stick on 6\u00a0Dec 2018 in Boise, now\u00a0at guinnessworldrecords. Idaho, USA. Each bean had to com\/2021. be\u00a0spiked individually. David also set the three-minute (178) and one-minute (68) records. Most balloons blown up in one hour Most \ufb01lms seen in cinemas On 4\u00a0Sep 2015, Hunter Ewen in\u00a0one\u00a0year (USA,\u00a0above) inflated 910 balloons at Vincent Krohn (FRA) watched the Wild Basin Lodge\u00a0& Event Center 715\u00a0\ufb01lms at the cinema in Paris, in\u00a0Allenspark, Colorado, USA. France, from 23\u00a0Mar 2017 to There are lots of different ways to 21\u00a0Mar 2018. He saw an average of try a balloon-related GWR title. The 14\u00a0\ufb01lms a week \u2013 everything from most balloons inflated by the nose in Casablanca (USA, 1943) to My one minute is\u00a0nine, by Ashrita Furman Little Pony: The Movie (USA\/CAN, (USA) on 6\u00a0Jun 2016 in New York City, 2017). Vincent\u2019s favourite flick was USA. Or, if blowing them up isn\u2019t your Back to the Future (USA, 1985). thing, try the most balloons popped using a pogo stick in one minute Most bhut jolokia chilli\u00a0peppers eaten \u2013 57, by Mark Aldridge in\u00a0two\u00a0minutes (UK) on\u00a01\u00a0Apr 2010 On 4\u00a0Feb 2018, \u201cJack Pepper\u201d in\u00a0Rome,\u00a0Italy. \u2013 aka Giancarlo Gasparotto (ITA) \u2013 munched his way through 146.27\u00a0g Be sure to use biodegradable balloons \u2013 and dispose (5.15\u00a0oz) of the fearsomely \ufb01ery of\u00a0them responsibly when you\u2019re done. chilli pepper in Tarquinia,\u00a0Italy. Giancarlo attempted the record during the ArgenPic chilli festival. 97","Recordmania Longest gum-wrapper chain Gary Duschl (USA) has patiently linked together a 32.55-km-long (20.22-mi) string of gum wrappers, as con\ufb01rmed on 10\u00a0Jan 2020 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. Gary has devoted more than 42,000\u00a0hours to creating his colossal chain, which incorporates 2,583,335\u00a0separate wrappers. It\u2019s so long that it could be wrapped 23\u00a0times around the Pentagon in Washington, DC,\u00a0USA. Every wrapper in the chain comes from a stick of Wrigley\u2019s 98 gum. Gary has devoted part of his house to memorabilia connected with the company, including one pack from 1895.","DESTINATIONS 100 Big Fruit & Veg 102 Food Feats 104 Expensive Ta$tes 106 Mass Participation 108 Big Stuff 110 Shoes 112 Collections 114 Fitness 116 Odd Talents 118 Juggling Acts 120 Urban Sports 122 Round-Up 124 Hall of Fame: Aaron Fotheringham at-ahGkstaheaplferesyhoela\u2019eosdmvnu,Aceegrihrtsttasahawtiginxonoeo-!fwaunladdlk- 99"]