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It raises the question: can a colony of individual animals (zooids in this case) that work cooperatively be called a singular animal itself? I think biologists
by cainxinth 9mo ago
It raises the question: can a colony of individual animals (zooids in this case) that work cooperatively be called a singular animal itself? I think biologists say yes, but it’s an interesting taxonomic boundary.
- eru 9mo agoWe think cows are singular animals, despite being made up of lots of different organisms with different DNA. (Much of the diversity happening in the gut.)
- Scarblac 9mo agoI think the bacteria in your gut outnumber the human cells in your body.
- deleted 9mo ago[deleted]
- baxtr 9mo agoAFAIK, a "super-organism" composed of individual entities is defined as one where the long-term fitness interests of those individuals and their groups are completely and permanently aligned. For example an ant colony is a super-organism. That’s why it makes sense for a soldier ant to die for her queen.
- billynomates 9mo agoThen why isn't a human a super-organism? We are composed of many different types of bacteria after all.
- embedding-shape 9mo agoSome of the "entities" aren't aligned always, like when a person is pregnant for example. I think also our (human) cells doesn't operate as semi-autonomous agents with independent nervous systems and agency, unlike a ant colony.