Anthropomorphizing Animals is Underated II
Link is to an article at New Scientist about mating behavior in flies.
Turns out males give females gifts in order to get them to mate. The gifts are either food or inedible things like twigs or cotton. The article makes a big point of wondering what the evolutionary value is in the giving of non-food like twigs.
And here I want to say: it seems like an expression of love. But I won't say that because they will call me crazy. All the same, not every gift I give to my girlfriend enhances her inclusive fitness.
The whole thing reminds me of the incredible collecting behaviour of some birds, and the elaborate nests and ornate groundskeeping some maintain ... at what stage do we say that aethetics plays a role? Do flies think twigs are pretty?
Turns out males give females gifts in order to get them to mate. The gifts are either food or inedible things like twigs or cotton. The article makes a big point of wondering what the evolutionary value is in the giving of non-food like twigs.
And here I want to say: it seems like an expression of love. But I won't say that because they will call me crazy. All the same, not every gift I give to my girlfriend enhances her inclusive fitness.
The whole thing reminds me of the incredible collecting behaviour of some birds, and the elaborate nests and ornate groundskeeping some maintain ... at what stage do we say that aethetics plays a role? Do flies think twigs are pretty?
posted by Jim Richardson at 6:52 PM
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