this post was submitted on 10 Feb 2024
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[–] Hegar@kbin.social 71 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Plant: Wait, so you're going to replant me, in massive numbers, all across the planet? kk nm, go ahead.

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 27 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (14 children)

One of reasons why some biologists suggest that one of the most evolutionarily successful animals on the planet is the farm chicken.

At an estimated global population of 35 billion, it's definitely doing a lot better than our 8 billion.

And evolutionarily successful doesn't mean you get to be the best, fastest, strongest and have the best most comfortable life ... evolutionary success just means that there are more of your species creating more generations of your kind everywhere. The hope being that the more there are of your species, the more likely your kind will survive in the future.

[–] Hegar@kbin.social 18 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

I've heard archaeologists suggest that in far future times this will be known as the chicken age, because of the volume and likely preservation of chicken bones.

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 years ago

The Bacock age

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[–] Bumblefumble@lemm.ee 21 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Is it really wheat that domesticated us?

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[–] Pyr_Pressure@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 years ago (3 children)

We're also going to change your genes to benefit ourselves and you'll be completely reliant on our own survival which is looking more and more dubious with each passing year.

[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 4 points 2 years ago

Turns out life just fills niches. It cares not for the length of which it can do that.

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[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago

Meanwhile humans spread those planets across the planet, cultivate it, and kill anything that tries to mess with it. Without us those plants would be living a sad little existence defeated by the next time a bug evolves slightly. Who played who?

[–] LarmyOfLone@lemm.ee 7 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Isn't this because they have anti-bacterial properties? So that you can preserve food and especially in hot climates you don't get food poisoning as easily?

[–] Brokenbutstrong@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Yup! I studied evolutionary psychology in college. Different seasonings helped make food safer to eat in hotter climates. My prof said “that's why if you leave a really salty piece of jerky under your bed, it's probably fine.”

Also explains why cultures up north typically didn't adapt a preference for spicy food as the cold allowed them to preserve food that way

[–] ammonium@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

That doesn't really make much sense since salted and pickled foods are eaten up north. The more logical explanation is that spicy food doesn't grow up north.

[–] LarmyOfLone@lemm.ee 2 points 2 years ago

Maybe in hotter climates you have more problems with bacteria vs fungus / rot in colder climates? Another explanation is that spicy / hot food is popular because it forces you to drink more water. But it's all speculation on my part, never found any definitive answers.

[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

Probably and was probably an accidental discovery. Someone noticed that spicy meat lasted longer.

[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 3 points 2 years ago

Now I want a Bloody Mary.

[–] irmoz@reddthat.com 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] tweeks@feddit.nl 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I thought that plants benefited from having their fruits eaten. As animals (like humans) defecate the seeds in different places, with enough manure to grow.

[–] WhipperSnapper@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 years ago (1 children)

In the case of peppers, birds are immune to the effect of capsaicin. It strikes me as an evolutionary way of ensuring your seeds get spread as far as possible, by something that flies.

Could just be chance, though, I'm no expert.

[–] EddoWagt@feddit.nl 4 points 2 years ago

All of evolution is just chance, but it sure is interesting to see what random chance can do if given enough time

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Depends on the plant. Some plants like to grow close together, they don't need an animal to distribute their seeds. Other plants like to spread out, and they benefit if birds eat and distribute the seeds, but not mammals.

Evolution is purely a results driven process, all that matters is can the organism create offspring that are capable of creating offspring.

[–] SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Some plants like to grow close together

Or maybe they grow well close together because they evolved to do so because their seeds weren't being spread all that far away?

Sorry couldn't help but nitpick there. But you're right, things don't evolve in any particular direction, it's all about just being above the bar of "not dying before producing offspring."

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[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

What's that first one? Horse radish?

[–] LazerVHSion@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Looks like it is, definitely different enough from wasabi to not be wasabi (even though it's the same family of plant).

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