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marmorset t1_jcc91z2 wrote

This is what always confuses me about evolution. Black herons in different areas all do this, it's not a learned behavior that's taught to each generation. It's an instinctual action, they all do it naturally. How is something like this instinctual? How is a bird hatched already knowing how to use this hunting strategy?

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BlueRaider731 t1_jccg5pi wrote

Wonder if they’ve got worse eyes, such that they can only see in shaded areas.

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RedSonGamble t1_jccm7bc wrote

You’re over thinking their thinking I think. I imagine it’s just wired into their genetics and they don’t think about why they’re doing it or why they’re doing anything. They’re just birds

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marmorset t1_jccvdqg wrote

What's compelling them to do it? There's an advantage to doing it so the birds who did it initially had a better chance to survive and reproduce, but what was initiating the behavior in those early bird to create shade while hunting fish?

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[deleted] t1_jcdxin1 wrote

[deleted]

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marmorset t1_jcdy7ex wrote

No, but I didn't then decide to fish. And the sun isn't in their eyes, they're doing it because the fish prefer shaded areas. That's a whole different level of thinking. My hand blocks the sun, now I can see better, versus, my wing blocks the sun, now a separate animal will change its behavior.

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Slavocracy t1_jcd1wje wrote

They noticed there were more fish in shaded water so they started simulating it for easier hunting.

Animals are far more intelligent than you're giving them credit for.

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conquer69 t1_jcd6qwp wrote

What you are describing is learned behavior which is different from instincts. Similar to beavers building dams despite never seeing a body of water in their life.

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Slavocracy t1_jcdb7x4 wrote

If an animal exhibits a learned behavior enough through generations it will become instinct.

Beavers are a great example here too.

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a_flat_miner t1_jcfb62c wrote

That's not how evolution or instincts work at all. This is essentially saying that if a creature lodges it's neck between two rocks and pulls enough, future generations will eventually have long necks

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