4 ms·
I suppose we're just ignoring the true leaders, the shepherds and sheepdogs. Sheep don't exist as a species in the wild, at least not for very long, so it seem
by anonporridge 4y ago
I suppose we're just ignoring the true leaders, the shepherds and sheepdogs.
Sheep don't exist as a species in the wild, at least not for very long, so it seems silly to speak about how they behave and "govern" themselves, because they have almost no control of their long term behavior.
Seems like the "leader" elected from their collective is just a facade of self determination.
- unity1001 4y ago> Sheep don't exist as a species as independent wild animals Neither do we...
- anonporridge 4y agoLook at you reading between the lines...
- worthless-trash 4y agoIts beautiful in a way.
- rojobuffalo 4y agoThere are two wild species of sheep in North America, Dall and Bighorn. Hunting is usually restricted to adult males that have horns which make a full curl, i.e. 360 degrees. It takes approximately 8 years for them to mature to that point. They're rare but hunters find them every year. I don't know much about them or how their behavior differs from domestic flocks. But in the wild they do have social structures and they butt heads to challenge each other. Like most social mammals, leaders provide direction and protection.
- anonporridge 4y agoThe loss of antlers and horns is one of the key characteristics of domesticated herd animals. They don't need them for protection against predators or intra-species rivalry, because a) we humans and our dogs do all the defensive work and b) we humans control how they mate with each other so there's no benefit for males to fight for resource and mating rights. When I say "sheep" above, I'm referring to domesticated sheep, as is this article, not their wild cousins which certainly have different behavior.
- dTal 4y agoI am very curious about this mental model of the world. Where do you believe sheep came from? Who, in your mind, invented sheep?
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- anonporridge 4y agoOur ancestors did. Humans cultivated sheep from wild ancestors for easier harvesting of their wool, milk, and meat. The domesticated sheep that we know today are completely co-dependent on humans for survival. If we disappeared, they would all die. Maybe some would manage evolve back into some wild version.