3 ms·
I'm extremely naive and ill-informed about biology and evolution, but I'm going to throw this question out there: isn't it an evolutionary advantage to evolve m
by throwawayqdhd 8y ago
I'm extremely naive and ill-informed about biology and evolution, but I'm going to throw this question out there: isn't it an evolutionary advantage to evolve mechanisms to digest one of the most abundant materials - plastic - on the planet? Surely, some organism can find a way to extract some nutritional value from plastics?
- skj 8y agoYes, but it takes a while. Plastics are somewhat recent on the evolutionary timescale.
- bitL 8y agoDepends on what would they produce as results of their metabolism? If they are going to poison oceans/lands with their products, it might cause unwanted kind of evolution.
- vanderZwan 8y ago> one of the most abundant materials There's too much of it, and it's definitely harming the planet, but is it really that abundant in absolute terms?
- throwawayqdhd 8y agoIt's abundant in the sense that there is no competition for it. I'd reckon it would be an evolutionary advantage to have complete monopoly over a resource.