The species is genetically more closely related to elephants than other animal.
Three new additions from the species of animals most closely related to elephants have made their public debut at Chester Zoo – but they don’t look as you would expect.
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The small, furry rock hyraxes – two male and one female – were born to mother Daissie and father Nungu at the zoo in July.
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The babies weigh no more than 250 grams, about the same as a mango, but are genetically more closely related to elephants than any other animal.
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Just like their much bigger ancestors, rock hyraxes boast two large incisor teeth which constantly grow like tiny tusks while the shape of their feet and their skull structure is also very similar to an elephant’s.
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Their pregnancies can last for more than seven months and at birth young are well developed, just like miniature adults.
The animals, also known as rock rabbits, live in rocky terrain and can be found in large colonies across Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
Scientists believe they have their own form of language, communicating via 20 different noises with particular tones conveying different meanings.
Celebrity birthdays for the week of Jan. 18-24:
Jan. 18: Singer-songwriter Bobby Goldsboro is 85. Comedian-singer Brett Hudson of the Hudson Brothers is 73. Actor-director Kevin Costner is 71. Country singer-actor Mark Collie (“Nashville”) is 70. Actor Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies,” ″The Other Boleyn Girl”) is 66. Actor Alison Arngrim (“Little House on the Prairie”) is 64. Actor Jane Horrocks (“Absolutely Fabulous”) is 62. Comedian Dave Attell (“Insomniac”) is 61. Actor Jesse L. Martin (“The Irrational,” ″Law & Order”) is 57. Rapper DJ Quik is 56. Singer Jonathan Davis of Korn is 55. Singer Christian Burns of BBMak is 52. Actor Derek Richardson (“Men in Trees”) is 50. Actor-screenwriter Jason Segel (“Shrinking,” “How I Met Your Mother”) is 46. Singer-actor Samantha Mumba is 43. Actor Ashleigh Murray (“Riverdale”) is 38. Actor Zeeko Zaki (“FBI,” “24: Legacy”) is 36. Actor Mateus Ward (“Hostages”) is 27.
Jan. 19: Actor Tippi Hedren is 96. Director Richard Lester (“A Hard Day’s Night,” “Superman II and III”) is 94. Actor-singer Michael Crawford is 84. Actor Shelley Fabares is 82. Country singer Dolly Parton is 80. TV chef Paula Deen is 79. Singer Martha Davis of The Motels is 74. Singer Dewey Bunnell of America is 74. Actor Desi Arnaz Jr. is 73. Actor Katey Sagal (“Sons of Anarchy,” ″Married... With Children”) is 72. Comedian Paul Rodriguez (“a.k.a. Pablo”) is 71. Keyboardist Mickey Virtue (UB40) is 69. Actor Paul McCrane (“ER”) is 65. Actor William Ragsdale (film’s “Fright Night,” TV’s “Herman’s Head”) is 65. Singer Whitfield Crane of Ugly Kid Joe is 58. Singer Trey Lorenz is 57. Actor Shawn Wayans (“White Chicks,” ″Scary Movie”) is 55. Singer-guitarist John Wozniak of Marcy Playground is 55. Actor Drea de Matteo (“Joey,” ″The Sopranos”) is 54. Comedian Frank Caliendo (“Frank TV,” ″Mad TV”) is 52. Actor Drew Powell (“Gotham”) is 50. Actor Marsha Thomason (“Las Vegas”) is 50. Actor Bitsie Tulloch (“Grimm”) is 45. Actor Jodie Sweetin (“Full House”) is 44. Director Damien Chazelle (“La La Land”) is 41. Actor Shaunette Renee Wilson (“The Resident”) is 36. Actor Briana Henry (“General Hospital”) is 34. Actor Logan Lerman (“Percy Jackson” films) is 34. Rapper Taylor Bennett is 30. Actor Lidya Jewett (“Hidden Figures”) is 19.
Jan. 20: Singer Eric Stewart (10cc, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders) is 81. Drummer George Grantham of Poco is 79. Bassist Ian Hill of Judas Priest is 74. Guitarist Paul Stanley of Kiss is 74. TV host Bill Maher is 70. Actor Lorenzo Lamas is 68. Actor James Denton (“Desperate Housewives”) is 63. Bassist Greg K. of The Offspring is 61. Country singer John Michael Montgomery is 61. Actor Rainn Wilson (“The Office”) is 60. Actor Stacey Dash (“Clueless”) is 59. Actor Reno Wilson (“Mike and Molly”) is 57. Singer Edwin McCain is 56. Actor Skeet Ulrich is 56. Drummer Questlove of The Roots is 55. Drummer Rob Bourdon of Linkin Park is 47. Singer-songwriter Bonnie McKee is 42. Country singer Brantley Gilbert is 41. Singer Kevin Parker of Tame Impala is 40. Actor Evan Peters (“American Horror Story”) is 39.
Jan. 21: Opera singer Placido Domingo is 85. Actor Jill Eikenberry is 79. Guitarist Jim Ibbotson (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) is 79. Singer-songwriter Billy Ocean is 76. Actor Robby Benson is 70. Actor Geena Davis is 70. Actor Charlotte Ross (“NYPD Blue”) is 58. Singer Marc Gay of Shai is 57. Actor Karina Lombard (“The L Word”) is 57. Actor Ken Leung (“Marvel’s Inhumans,” ″Lost”) is 56. Rapper Levirt of B-Rock and the Bizz is 56. Drummer Mark Trojanowski of Sister Hazel is 56. Singer Cat Power is 54. DJ Chris Kilmore of Incubus is 53. Singer Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) of the Spice Girls is 50. Actor Jerry Trainor (“Wendell & Vinnie,” ″iCarly”) is 49. Singer Nokio of Dru Hill is 47. Actor Izabella Miko (“Coyote Ugly”) is 45. Actor Luke Grimes (TV’s “Yellowstone,” film’s “Fifty Shades”) is 42. Actor Feliz Ramirez (TV’s “Grand Hotel”) is 34.
Jan. 22: Singer Steve Perry (Journey) is 77. Bassist Teddy Gentry of Alabama is 74. Director Jim Jarmusch (“Broken Flowers,” “Stranger Than Paradise”) is 73. Actor John Wesley Shipp (“The Flash,” ″Dawson’s Creek”) is 71. Actor Linda Blair is 67. Rapper-actor DJ Jazzy Jeff is 61. Actor Diane Lane is 61. Country singer Regina Nicks of Regina Regina is 61. Celebrity chef Guy Fieri is 58. Actor Olivia D’Abo (“Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” ″The Wonder Years”) is 57. Actor Katie Finneran (“The Michael J. Fox Show”) is 55. Actor Gabriel Macht (“Suits”) is 54. Actor Balthazar Getty is 51. Actor Christopher Kennedy Masterson (“Malcolm in the Middle”) is 46. Jazz singer Lizz Wright is 46. Singer Willa Ford is 45. Actor Beverley Mitchell (“Seventh Heaven”) is 45. Guitarist Ben Moody of The Fallen (and formerly of Evanescence) is 45. Actor-singer Phoebe Strole (“Glee”) is 43. Rapper Logic is 36. Actor Sami Gayle (“Blue Bloods”) is 30.
Jan. 23: Actor-director Lou Antonio (“Cool Hand Luke”) is 92. Jazz vibraphonist Gary Burton is 83. Bassist-keyboardist Bill Cunningham of The Box Tops is 76. Actor Richard Dean Anderson (“MacGyver”) is 76. Singer-guitarist Robin Zander of Cheap Trick is 73. Singer Anita Baker is 68. Bassist Earl Falconer of UB40 is 67. Actor Peter Mackenzie (“black-ish”) is 65. Actor Boris McGiver (“House of Cards,” ″Boardwalk Empire”) is 64. Actor Gail O’Grady (“American Dreams,” ″NYPD Blue”) is 63. Actor Mariska Hargitay (“Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”) is 62. Singer Marc Nelson (Az Yet) is 55. Former “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell is 52. Actor Tiffani Thiessen (“Beverly Hills, 90210”) is 52. Bassist Nick Harmer of Death Cab for Cutie is 51. Actor Lindsey Kraft (“Living Biblically”) is 45.
Jan. 24: Fiddler Doug Kershaw is 90. Singer Ray Stevens is 87. Singer Neil Diamond is 85. Singer Aaron Neville is 85. Actor Michael Ontkean (TV’s “Twin Peaks,” film’s “Slap Shot”) is 80. Country singer-songwriter Becky Hobbs is 76. Comedian Yakov Smirnoff is 75. Actor William Allen Young (“Code Black,” “Moesha”) is 72. Keyboardist-turned-TV personality Jools Holland (Squeeze) is 68. Actor Nastassja Kinski is 65. Drummer Keech Rainwater of Lonestar is 63. Comedian Phil LaMarr (“Mad TV”) is 59. Singer Sleepy Brown of Society of Soul is 56. Actor Matthew Lillard (“Scooby-Doo,” ″She’s All That”) is 56. Actor Merrilee McCommas (“Friday Night Lights,” ″Family Law”) is 55. Singer Beth Hart is 54. Actor Ed Helms (“The Office”) is 52. Actor Christina Moses (“A Million Little Things”) is 48. Actor Tatyana Ali (“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”) is 47. Actor Carrie Coon (“The Gilded Age,” “Leftovers”) is 45. Actor Daveed Diggs (“black-ish”) is 44. Actor Justin Baldoni (“Jane The Virgin”) is 42. Actor Mischa Barton (“The O.C.”) is 40.
Mariska Hargitay attends the "Law & Order" 25th anniversary celebration at Cipriani 42nd Street on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
