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Cake day: February 27th, 2025

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  • If the relaxation of the pouch is directly tied to the stress/adrenaline response diverting resources elsewhere, which aids in escape, then it’s not so easy to optimize to not loose the pouch. Pouch relaxation wouldn’t be the genetic trait being selected for or against, flight response would be.

    It can be more harmful for the pouch to be relaxed than not on an isolated level, but if that’s counteracted by the increased ability to escape due to resource allocation then it would pass on as a “by product” regardless of its individual effect.

    There may not be an existing genetic variation which maintains the pouch control during the flight response without compromise on the degree of speed or intensity dedicated to the escape. Evolution can’t select for mutations that don’t yet exist in the gene pool.


  • Not necessarily. Evolution doesn’t optimize trait by trait.

    If the flight response leads to overall more reproduction it would naturally pass on regardless of any effect of the loss of pouch control.

    The dropping of the baby wouldn’t necessarily be a trait itself, but a side effect of the flight response.



  • IttihadChe@lemmy.mltoMemes@lemmy.mlLazy moochers
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    3 months ago

    What if their oldest loses their job and can’t find a new one, but has to move back, and then can’t because they downsized to a smaller house?

    What if their oldest loses their job and now for no fault of their own the renter is suddenly forced to find a new place to live to accommodate the landlords son? But they’ve been spending their money on rent so they don’t have enough savings to find a decent place?