#AtoZChallenge: Busting Myths the Xerces Society Would Be Proud Of!

Artist extraordinaire James Grasdal is putting the finishing touches on the 13^th book in the Superman Duffy comic series—MYTHCONCEPTIONS. Which, you may have guessed has a little something to do with common “myths.” I love myths! So for this year’s A to Z Blogging Challenge, I’m going to “bust” as many of them as I can—every day (except Sundays) on the blog, throughout April.

Not familiar with the A to Z Challenge? Get the detailshere, and then hang on, because I’m about to blow your mind with my myth-inspired posts.  P.S. Comment on the blogs throughout the month for a chance to WIN a complete set of the SupermanDuffy comics, including lucky #13, MYTHCONCEPTIONS.

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“X” is HARD. I mean, there’s aren’t very many “X” words to begin with, and then trying to find myths about those words…impossible! Almost.

I was sitting at the kitchen table brainstorming for this post when my sister dumped a glass of milk across my notebook. I stood up, put my hands on my hips and yelled, “Amelia Xerces Duffy!” (That’s really her middle name…) 

And that’s when it hit me—X is for Xerces. Not my sister…well, kind of my sister…but more the Xerces Society, which is a “non-profit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat.”

What’s an invertebrate? Good question. It’s an animal that has no backbone or spinal column. (Maybe you know someone like that!) And let me tell you, there are MANY myths about invertebrates. Here are three of my favourite:

MYTH: Invertebrates are not animals.

Actually, they are. In fact, they were the first animals to evolve. Scientists have discovered fossilized burrows and tracks in sediments that date back nearly 1 billion years. Whoa!

MYTH: Some invertebrates have bones.

Uh, no. The very word invertebrate means “no bones”—not even little ones. Some insects, for instance, have a hard outer shell, but that shouldn’t be confused with “bone.”

MYTH: There are not very many invertebrates on Earth.

Way backwards. Scientists suggest about 97% of ALL species alive today are invertebrates. There are actually so many species of insects that scientists have yet to discover them all. Cool, right?

Can you believe it? Only TWO days left of the #AtoZChallenge. This month just flew by! What are some cool things you’ve learned reading my posts—or other blogs taking part in the challenge? See you tomorrow for the letter “Y.” It’s a good one!

~ Chase Superman Duffy