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Moonlight-like fur and feathers may explain Egyptian god Thoth's two animal forms

Phys · · 727 words · By Sandee Oster
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What to know about Moonlight-like fur and feathers may explain Egyptian god Thoth's two animal forms

Researchers used spectroscopy to analyze the fur of sacred baboons and feathers of sacred ibises, finding that both reflect light similarly to moonlight. This finding suggests that the moon-like appearance of these animals may explain why they were both chosen to represent the Egyptian god Thoth.

Propaganda risk 10%
Claims checked 12
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center100%
Right0%

1 source compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

August 1, 2026 feature Moonlight-like fur and feathers may explain Egyptian god Thoth's two animal forms Sandee Oster Author Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Robert Egan Senior Editor The ancient Egyptian god of the moon had two very different faces: a…

Why it matters

Now, researchers think they may have found the common thread connecting them all.

Common ground

Using an instrument that measures light, the researchers pointed at the silvery fur of the sacred baboon (Papio hamadryas) and the white feathers of the sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus), and both shone back with the brilliance of the moon, possibly…

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Researchers used spectroscopy to analyze the fur of sacred baboons and feathers of sacred ibises, finding that both reflect light similarly to moonlight. This finding suggests that the moon-like appearance of these animals may explain why they were both chosen to represent the Egyptian god Thoth.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-07-moonlight-fur-feathers-egyptian-god.html

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 5
check_circle Corroborated 3
schedule Pending 2
help Insufficient Evidence 1
verified Verified By Reference 1
info
Claim 1: “a study tracing Thoth's Egyptian name, Ḏḥw.ty, to North African words for "bright/white thing"”
SINGLE SOURCE
Only one source mentions the specific linguistic link between Thoth's name (Ḏḥw.ty) and North African words for 'bright/white thing'.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Both were mummified, but only one had the honor of becoming a god. The idea to test their connection to moonlight came from another study tracing Thoth's Egyptian name, Ḏḥw.ty, to North African words …
https://phys.org/news/2026-07-moonlight-fur-feathers-egyptia…
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web search NEUTRAL — Nakht (Nahkt): A name associated with nobility, Nakht means "strong" or "mighty." It reflects the power that individuals held in Ancient Egyptian society. Nubia (Noo-bee-ah): While not a personal name…
https://www.thearchaeologist.org/blog/100-ancient-egyptian-n…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Thoth as an Ibis, Brooklyn Museum. Many of the Egyptian’s religious and civil rituals were organised according to a lunar calendar. As Thoth was associated with writing and with the moon it is perhaps…
https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/thoth/
schedule
Claim 2: “Nathaniel J. Dominy et al, Moonlight and the apotheosis of sacred baboons, Time and Mind (2026). DOI: 10.1080/1751696x.2026.2696260”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 3: “Ancient Egyptians stand out as perhaps the only culture to not only venerate baboons, but deify them.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 4: “The same tests conducted on the sacred baboon's fur, however, showed light wavelengths that were almost identical to moonlight.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided for this claim in the gathered results.
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Claim 5: “The ancient Egyptian god of the moon had two very different faces: a crescent-beaked white bird and a silver-coated baboon.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web sources and Wikipedia confirm Thoth was depicted as both an ibis and a baboon, and specifically link these to the moon.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Emerald Tablets of Thoth the Atlantean is a pseudohistorical book written by Maurice Doreal (1898–1963) and first published in the 1940s or early 1950s. Influenced by ancient Egyptian texts and Lo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Tablets_of_Thoth_the_A…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Thoth (from Koine Greek: Θώθ Thṓth, borrowed from Coptic: Ⲑⲱⲟⲩⲧ Thōout, Ancient Egyptian: Ḏḥwtj, the reflex of ḏḥwtj "[he] is like the ibis") is an ancient Egyptian deity. In art, he was often depicte…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoth
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Book of Thoth is a name given to many ancient Egyptian texts attributed to Thoth, the Egyptian god of writing and knowledge. They include many texts that were mentioned by ancient authors including a …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Thoth
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 6: “Twelve animals from the American Museum of Natural History in New York were tested by aiming a spectrometer at various points on each animal.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While Wikipedia confirms the existence of the American Museum of Natural History, none of the provided evidence mentions the specific test of twelve animals using a spectrometer.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Located in Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Museum_of_Natural_His…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_of_Natural_His…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, ge…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_history_museum
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 7: “Among them were the olive baboon (P. anubis) and the sacred baboon.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that both Papio anubis (olive baboon) and Papio hamadryas (sacred baboon) were mummified in ancient Egypt.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Another species, Papio anubis (the olive baboon), was also mummified but it was typically wrapped in one big cocoon in a manner reflecting far less care.The baboon is one of seven examples of Papio ha…
https://home.dartmouth.edu/news/2020/12/mummified-baboons-sh…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — They discovered that both the ibis and baboon have spectral profiles indistinguishable from moonlight. Spectral range of sacred baboon.So, sacred ibises and hamadryas baboons are different in many way…
https://phys.org/news/2026-07-moon-baboon-insight-mind-ancie…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Although imported baboons were kept, mummified, and buried in large numbers, only one species—the sacred baboon (Papio hamadryas)—became an official manifestation of Thoth, despite another imported sp…
https://www.sciencenewstoday.org/ancient-egyptians-may-have-…
info
Claim 8: “Ibises once lived side by side with ancient Egyptians, but baboons are strangers to the land of Egypt.”
SINGLE SOURCE
Only one specific web source explicitly states that ibises lived side by side with Egyptians while baboons were 'strangers to the land'. Other sources discuss baboons being imported, but do not explicitly contrast the native status of ibises in the same way.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Ibises once lived side by side with ancient Egyptians, but baboons are strangers to the land of Egypt. With no wild baboons, they are among the only foreign animals found in the Egyptian pantheon.
https://phys.org/news/2026-07-moonlight-fur-feathers-egyptia…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Baboons Were Trained in Ancient Egypt to Catch Criminals.
https://www.ancient-origins.net/history/did-you-known-baboon…
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web search NEUTRAL — Mummification was practiced throughout most of early Egyptian history. The earliest mummies from prehistoric times probably were accidental. By chance, dry sand and air (since Egypt has almost no meas…
https://www.si.edu/spotlight/ancient-egypt/mummies
info
Claim 9: “At least three ibis species once lived in ancient Egypt, but only the white one was chosen [to represent Thoth].”
SINGLE SOURCE
Only one source mentions that at least three species of ibis were known to Egyptians but only the white one was chosen for Thoth.
info
Claim 10: “hundreds of baboon mummies and skeletons have been dug out of Egyptian temples and tombs”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided search results for 'hundreds' returned irrelevant results about a streetwear brand and county divisions, failing to provide evidence for baboon mummies.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Hundreds is a streetwear brand founded in Los Angeles in 2003 by law school classmates Bobby Kim and Ben Shenassafar. [1] The Hundreds also sells a print magazine, footwear and eyewear. [2] In 201…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hundreds
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Somerset County, which was established in 1666, was initially divided into six hundreds: Mattapony, Pocomoke, Boquetenorton, Wicomico, and Baltimore Hundreds; later subdivisions of the hundreds added …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_(county_division)
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web search NEUTRAL — The Hundreds is a community-based streetwear brand and media platform with an emphasis on People Over Product.
https://thehundreds.com/
info
Claim 11: “When the researchers pointed at the olive baboon fur, the result was a greenish hue.”
SINGLE SOURCE
Only one source explicitly mentions that the spectrometer result for olive baboon fur was a 'greenish hue'.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — When the researchers pointed at the olive baboon fur, the result was a greenish hue.Get Instant Summarized Text (Gist). Spectroscopy showed that hamadryas baboon fur and sacred ibis feathers reflect l…
https://phys.org/news/2026-07-moonlight-fur-feathers-egyptia…
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web search NEUTRAL — The results obtained by the team reveal a remarkably precise fact: the spectral profiles of the sacred ibis feathers and the hamadryas baboon fur are, in terms of the wavelengths they reflect, indisti…
https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2026/07/the-mystery-of-the…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Use this hands-on Spectroscope Flame Test Analysis Kit to observe the color of light produced from different elements. Discover how flame color can uncover the elements in your neighborhood street lig…
https://www.homesciencetools.com/product/spectroscope-analys…
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Claim 12: “Nathaniel Dominy, an anthropologist at Dartmouth College, and Catherine Hobaiter, a primatologist at the University of St Andrews, authors of the study published in Time and Mind.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent web sources identify Nathaniel Dominy (Dartmouth) and Catherine Hobaiter (St Andrews) as the authors of the study.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The reindeer or caribou (Rangifer tarandus) is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and No…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reindeer
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — "Why would two strikingly disparate animals be used to represent a deity known for wisdom?" asked Nathaniel Dominy, an anthropologist at Dartmouth College, and Catherine Hobaiter, a primatologist at t…
https://phys.org/news/2026-07-moonlight-fur-feathers-egyptia…
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web search NEUTRAL — Catherine Hobaiter. School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK.Corresponding author: Nathaniel J. Dominy, Departments of Anthropology and Biological Sciences…
https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/handl…
+ 1 more evidence source
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.