BBC Wildlife - UK (2019-12)

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December 2019 BBC Wildlife 91

TV
choice

Theastonishingstoryofskin

Findoutthesecretsofthisextraordinaryorgan.

Skinreallyis quiteremarkable.All

vertebratesonEarthhaveit,it’sthe

body’slargestandmostadaptable

organand,aswefindoutinthisnew

series,it doessomuchmorethanjust

separatingourinsidesfromthe

environmentthatsurroundsus.

Forthisnewsix-partBBCFourseries,

evolutionarybiologist,TVpresenterand

BBCWildlifecontributorprofessorBen

Garrodrevealshowimportantskinis

forsurvivalandhowit hasenabledthe

widediversityofanimallifethanksto

thedifferentformsskincantake–

includingscales,feathersandfur.

“Wetakeskinforgrantedandoften

onlyseeit asa passivebarrierbetween

usandthebigwideworld,”saysBen.

“Butscratchthesurfaceandwereveal

thatskinprotectsus,sensestheworld

andevenallowsustocommunicate

withothers.”

Ina similarstyletoBen’sprevious

series,Secretsof Bones, eachepisode

ofSecretsof Skinsexploresa different

functionofskin,startingwithan

introductiontoitsdiverseadaptations,

beforefocusingonmovement,defence

andmuchmore.

“Inthisseries,I comefacetoface

withwhat’slivingonmyface;see

howa shark’sskinis coveredin

millionsofteeth,andhowsome

ofourmosticonicseabirdsmightbe

communicatinginwayswecanbarely

imagine,”Benreveals.

Alongsideinterviewswitha range of

otherexperts,Benis alsoputthrough a

varietyofentertainingandinteresting

experiments.Onesequenceinvolves

himstickinghisarmintoa boxof

hungrymosquitos– toshowhowthey

areabletopierceourskinwithoutus

noticing– andthenintoa boxofstable

flies,whichhavehardermouthparts

inordertofeedfromhorsesandcattle.

Inanother,hespendstimeina walk-in

deep-freezerwhilsta thermalcamera

keepstrackofhisbodytemperature –

goingtogreatlengthstoreallygetunder

theskinofthissubject.MeganShersby

LookoutforBenGarrod’sfeatureonskin

intheFebruaryissueofBBCWildlife.

SECRETSOFSKINS

COMINGSOONTOBBCFOUR

OUR WILD WORLD

Scratchthesurface

andwerevealthat

skinevenallowsus

tocommunicate.

S

T

BBC