Word of the Week: Hyperborean

Shreya Dube spreads the Christmas cheer with a very festive word of the week

Shreya Dube
7th December 2020
Ho ho ho, 'tis the season for hyperborean hijinks! You might be wondering what is a hyperborean? Let us investigate.

A hyperborean is an inhabitant of the Extreme North! Aside from Mr. Claus being our favourite hyperborean, let’s set our sights on his stalwart companion Rudolph.

Rudolph is actually female, as male reindeers shed their antlers earlier in the winter whilst females retain theirs throughout the season - this is an example of sexual dimorphism. Santa really did say Girl Power! 

Reindeer are also adapted to their task in a myriad of ways, one such being their hooves, which are soft in the summer months but harden in the winter. This allows them to break through Arctic ice to access their herbivorous banquet under the frost. They also regulate their metabolism and have adapted haemoglobin. Reindeer are truly a streamlined species to spread Christmas cheer.

No Christmas article would be complete without mention of our tundra patriarch Santa Claus! The cookies and mince pies truly do help him in his mission in the North; brown fat is a large proponent of thermogenesis, keeping him warm as he zips about the globe.

So dear reader, I hope these quick and frosty facts entertain you this holiday season: stay warm!

Featured Image: Marcus Löfvenberg on Unsplash

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