Can't judge a book by its color

Mother and Child   (Photo by Sanjay Acharya)

Those who equate identity with color can learn a thing or two from Mother Nature.

For example, flamingos are not born pink.  These elegant birds begin life with gray plumage, which doesn’t turn rosy until they feast upon brine shrimp. 

Because brine shrimp eat plenty of carotenoid-rich algae, flamingos digest heavy doses of “pink and orange pigment molecules.”  These molecules then collect within beaks, feathers and legs.

Carrots were purple in their native Afghanistan.  They remained so while spreading throughout the former Persian Empire.  Eventually, European horticulturists began the selective breeding of yellowish carrots.  One thing led to another, and soon there were orange ones.  Such “western carrots” are now grown throughout the world.

Resources

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/smart-living/30-crazy-facts-about-life-that-may-freak-you-out-a-little/ss-AAxkWAg?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=BHEA000#image=2

Copyright May 16, 2018 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved