4 ms·
I think “hanging around” is a little too loose of a term to have a truly meaningful discussion, but I generally disagree with your assertion. If you are in a h
by cgriswald 6y ago
I think “hanging around” is a little too loose of a term to have a truly meaningful discussion, but I generally disagree with your assertion.
If you are in a herd and can be near another other herd member, it would not be beneficial to be near the one that predators are likely to target. If you are near that member, any mistake you make while running away might be your last. Less so the further away from that member (and the predators) you place yourself.
Predators do not always catch their prey. A fit herd can escape without any of its members being eaten. A herd benefits from having its weakest members culled, not by having weak members. No herd animal I can think of would slow down a trek for its weakest members.
- collyw 6y agoYoung animals are often the weakest members, and plenty of adults will stay close to protect them from predators (I am thinking of Wolves where an adult bison is too large to take on, but a child is what they target). That seems like part of a winning strategy to me. There are tons of strategies employed in nature, I don't think its correct to say one is winning and one is not.
- cgriswald 6y agoThe young generally aren’t considered unfit. In the cases where they actually unfit (say a lame leg) they certainly aren’t kept around as a sacrificial offering to predators as in your example.