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I wrote something along those lines, then replaced it with what I did post, just for brevity. You said it better than I would have. Mutualism is a well-proven
by ncmncm 5y ago
I wrote something along those lines, then replaced it with what I did post, just for brevity. You said it better than I would have.
Mutualism is a well-proven successful strategy. There does seem more scope for intelligence in crafting positive-sum arrangements than in simply competing. (Arguably our own brains hypertrophied in response to sexual selection of better storytellers, with other results secondary.)
http://cantrip.org/slow.pdf http://cantrip.org/slow.pdf
- popcube 5y agousually, we just presume the strategies were stored in genetic level.
- ncmncm 5y agoWe can presume, but Nature keeps her own counsel. Anywhere there is any scope for intelligent behavior and capacity to exercise it, we should expect to see nature explore that, sooner or later. I know no reason to think that could not have been done yet.
- falling_ 5y agoThere is some scope for winged humans, and hypothetically some capacity to exercise it. Nature did not explore this route. The opportunity cost of exploratory settling into a non-preferred niche usually outweighs the benefits of that exploration simply due to the scarcity of available resources to buffer against the opportunity cost.
- ncmncm 4y agoBut, as noted, for this case there is very little in the way of cost. Nature did, in fact, explore the winged-bipeds body plan to full fruition twice, once in mammals, and did winged quadrupeds before and again in mammals. She is progressing on a another as I write this. And, humans did end up conquering the air without growing wings. Nature isn't picky about methods.