Connie Barlow is an eloquent speaker on Evolution. I have seen her presentations several times. Highly recommended.
The avocado is an evolutionary anachronism
51–60 of 64 posts
Re: The avocado is an evolutionary anachronism
#52Re: The avocado is an evolutionary anachronism
#53> The fruit had a larger pit and less flesh than today’s avocados, but it really served as a quick snack for big mammals like the mammoth... How the avocado still exists in the wild after surviving its evolutionary failures remains a puzzle. But once Homo sapiens evolved to the point where it could cultivate the species, the fruit had the chance to thrive anew. Back when the giant beasts roamed the earth, the avocado…
it really served as a quick snack for big mammals like the mammoth...
As a metaphor it works, but is unprobable that a species carefully adapted to extreme chilling cold and another species adapted to do no stand any cold would share space and a trophic link
Re: The avocado is an evolutionary anachronism
#54Here's a way to view evolutionary theory: a plant that is extremely tasty becomes cultivated, and protected by the species that eats it. As a result, the plant prospers. This actually has a name - Mutualism. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutualism_(biology) for example.
But this falls down a little bit if you apply it to animals. I mean, chickens are tasty and all, and there are probably billions of them in the world right now... but do you call living in a cage with your beak cut off "prospering"? From a purely genetic propagation point of view they are prospering I guess... but at what cost?
> but do you call living in a cage with your beak cut off "prospering"?
Better than die at ten days old by any of the dozen predators living in a rainforest, that is the destine of 90% of the wild chicken
Re: The avocado is an evolutionary anachronism
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
All species are invasive if you go back far enough.
I'm seeing the beginnings of standup routine that literally everyone in California will find offensive. I'm having trouble fleshing out the details though.
Offensively invasive or Invasively offensive? Good luck!
Re: The avocado is an evolutionary anachronism
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've seen squirrels carry them to eat later (it's a ridiculous sight), but humans imported both the squirrels and avocados here (the Bay Area).
Squirrels will carry and eat pretty much anything (rats of thre trees) including avocadoes, apples, small melons, compost, other squirrels and dead birds. If they can move it, they eat it. Plus points if it can be burried for winter.
Now that you mention it, a squirrel also stole a melon I was growing.
Re: The avocado is an evolutionary anachronism
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
If treated well I think they would appreciate it until suddenly they would stop appreciating it. From an evolutionary point of view is definitely a (perverted) mutualism (perverted as in the artificial selection on cows make them quite unfit to human-free life). On the appreciation side it would be relevant to know more about how cows see humans. I believe many cows in farms are quite happy and many (more) cows are q…
I don't think them lacking knowledge of that fact changes the situation any, though pedantically I'll admit that it would change their perspective of it.
It changes everything in may opinion, but this is highly subjective as it is a human-to-human moral judgment.
My view on the topic is that there is a predefined innate concept of a good life for all complex life, including cows, and with my current knowledge I see no reason why a cow in a farm would be unable to live a good life. Obviously in too many cases industrial optimization is clearly opposed to this, still I see no reason not to call [0] (assuming the context given as true) a mutually beneficial relationship
[0] https://preview.redd.it/g5l57bwdd4p01.jpg?width=960&crop=sma...
Re: The avocado is an evolutionary anachronism
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
And couldn't a new world monkey simply carry the avocado somewhere else to eat it? Does it have to pass through the gut?
I've seen squirrels carry them to eat later (it's a ridiculous sight), but humans imported both the squirrels and avocados here (the Bay Area).
Avocado is a perfectly North American plant.
Re: The avocado is an evolutionary anachronism
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think them lacking knowledge of that fact changes the situation any, though pedantically I'll admit that it would change their perspective of it.
It changes everything in may opinion, but this is highly subjective as it is a human-to-human moral judgment. My view on the topic is that there is a predefined innate concept of a good life for all complex life, including cows, and with my current knowledge I see no reason why a cow in a farm would be unable to live a good life. Obviously in too many cases industrial optimization is clearly opposed to this, still I…
In a hypothetical reality where they are not slaughtered so early in their life cycle just because humans want something that tastes more interesting than grain, I could agree with that sentiment. That's not the reality we live in, however.
Re: The avocado is an evolutionary anachronism
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
And couldn't a new world monkey simply carry the avocado somewhere else to eat it? Does it have to pass through the gut?
I've seen squirrels carry them to eat later (it's a ridiculous sight), but humans imported both the squirrels and avocados here (the Bay Area).
In what sense did humans import squirrels to the bay area?