Humans: “What if they started with none, and then became the most dangerous animal on the planet as an adult?”
Guinea pigs
Submitted 2 days ago by ickplant@lemmy.world to [deleted]
https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/9e07ab97-f4c0-4f9c-9732-d0e9287b41de.jpeg
Comments
ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 2 days ago
There are more guinea pigs than tigers in the world.
SwingingTheLamp@piefed.zip 2 days ago
This is where I can share what I learned in my ecology classes! There’s a concept called the ecological pyramid. The base comprises the primary producers, that is, plants which produce biomass with solar energy through photosynthesis. The next trophic level is the primary consumers, that is, herbivores that eat plant biomass. It’s a pyramid shape because the rule of thumb is that only about 10% of the original solar energy makes it up to the next trophic level.
Guinea pigs are primary consumers. Tigers are secondary or tertiary consumers, eating animals which eat plants, or even animals which eat other organisms which eat plants. Only about 1% of the original solar energy in the plants eaten by the animals the tigers ate goes into making new tiger biomass, compared to 10% of the energy from the plants going into making new guinea pig. And since tigers are much, much bigger, there have to be a lot fewer of them.
A tiger’s size gives it a big enough hunting advantage that, well, the world has tigers in it, but necessarily limits the numbers of the tiger population.
CrimeIsLegalNow@ani.social 1 day ago
The next step is asking what the natural environmental limits on the human population are, but don’t worry, we’ll find out.
Ninja876@lemmy.world 2 days ago
In Peru they are a food staple… So not totally useless.
rbb36@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Being delicious food is a competitive advantage; just ask fruit. Domesticated farm animals in general are really nice. I grew up in a time and place of family farms, where animals were given a good life from people who cared, before becoming delicious food.
Neptr@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 days ago
And Ecuador.
TTimo@piefed.social 2 days ago
Tastes like fish, it’s weird.
Drusas@fedia.io 1 day ago
Time to start raising guinea pigs.
Ninja876@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Fish? Thats wild, I wouldn’t have expected that!
Agent641@lemmy.world 1 day ago
How many guinea pigs would it take to win against one tiger in a fight, assuming the guinea pigs had the appropriate bloodlust?
MyFriendGodzilla@lemmy.world 1 day ago
They never saw Guinea Pigs multiply uncontrolably… they have advantages…
bluegreenpurplepink@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Together, as a herd, Guinea Pigs have camouflage from an aerial view. On a farm they will graze together and listen for any alerts from other animals like hens and run for cover. They can survive when given shelter overnight in a barn. (youtu.be/ZvAjGHbJ7TI)
icelimit@lemmy.ml 12 hours ago
“they can survive in the wild - for a day, if in a herd”
TomMasz@piefed.social 2 days ago
They can’t even synthesize their own Vitamin C.
sangeteria@lemmy.ml 1 day ago
Girl, we can’t either 😭😭😭
Hoimo@ani.social 2 days ago
Tigers are real fucking scary and still humans went into the forest with pointy sticks to hunt them down. Humans doesn’t afraid of anything.
CrimeIsLegalNow@ani.social 1 day ago
Half the humans on this site are scared of everything.
Stolas@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
Hi, I’m half the humans.
Klear@piefed.world 2 days ago
Guinea pigs were God’s guinea pigs.
fpslem@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Don’t underestimate cuteness as an advantage.
Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 2 days ago
If guinea pigs had no advantages, they wouldn’t have survived.
Not_mikey@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 days ago
Domesticated ones only survive because of humans, so they’re advantage is being a good meat sack?
slacktoid@lemmy.ml 2 days ago
Fear isn’t an advantage
phar@lemmy.world 2 days ago
It is if it keeps you hidden from predators and keeps your species alive
Hoimo@ani.social 2 days ago
Good senses and quick scuttly feet and little wormy bodies that fit in tiny holes though.