Getting tipsy on the weekend may not just be for the humans.
Theres no shortage of tales involving drunk-looking animals in the wild, fromchimpstoelephantstovarious species of birds.
And nowadays, sources of ethanol can be found across nearly every punch in of ecosystem.
A spider monkey feeding on fruits of the yellow mombin tree (Spondias mombin). The fruits are known to have a relatively high alcohol content.© Nicholas Chapoy
Since the Cretaceous period, fleshy fruits have provided a sugar-rich resource for fermentative yeasts and natural ethanol production.
Another piece of evidence is that some animals have evolved to handle their booze better.
These adaptations indicate that alcohol consumption is a common enough occurrence for at least some wildlife.
So that raises the question of why any animals would even gravitate toward consuming alcohol-rich foods.
They also hope to better understand the chemistry of how animals metabolize alcohol.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
