Re: Tears - 1 of 2

H. M. Hubey (hubey@pegasus.montclair.edu)
21 Oct 1995 23:00:09 -0400

Alex Duncan <aduncan@mail.utexas.edu> writes:

>In article <60.3669.7295.0N1FA09B@canrem.com> J. Moore,
>j#d#.moore@canrem.com writes:

>>Then Frey continues with reports of other animals shedding tears:
>>dogs and wolves (Cecil Reynolds 1925); seal (Ronald M. Lockley
>>1966 *Grey Seal, Common Seal*); sea otter (Georg W. Stellar);
>>lab rats (red tears from Harderian glands [the same types of glands
>>that elephants have]) (John E. Harkness and Marcella D. Ridgeway);
>>and gorilla (Dian Fossey 1983 *Gorillas in the Mist*).

I've been ignoring this because it's not clear to me exactly
what it is that's supposed to be significant.

1. Is it that humans shed salty tears?

2. Is it that humans shed tears when distressed?

3. Is it that humans shed salty tears when distressed?

4. Is it that humans share one of the above with some animals?
which ones?

>Wait Jim, you fool. If dogs and wolves and gorillas shed tears, then
>they also must have had aquatic ancestors. And lab rats too.

>Just trying to beat Hubey to the punch here.

You did. So far I don't see what the problem is.

Has the chemical compositions of tears for these animals
been analyzed? Are there differences in the compositions
in response to various causes for the tears?

It seems logical that animals should have some way to
keep the cornea moist. I assume that tears would be salty
unless there were some special mechanisms to filter it out.

So then it must have something to do with something else such
as when they shed tears or the chemical composition of the
tears.

So what was the original idea anyway?

-- 





				Regards, Mark

				http://www.smns.montclair.edu/~hubey