fossilesque@mander.xyzM to Science Memes@mander.xyzEnglish · 4 months agoBiomimicrymander.xyzimagemessage-square84fedilinkarrow-up1917arrow-down124
arrow-up1893arrow-down1imageBiomimicrymander.xyzfossilesque@mander.xyzM to Science Memes@mander.xyzEnglish · 4 months agomessage-square84fedilink
minus-squarexkforce@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up103arrow-down5·4 months agoThey dont. It just happens that natural selection favored flowers that looked vaguely bird like and over time, flowers that looked more and more like a bird outcompeted the ones that looked less like one.
minus-squareorphiebaby@lemm.eelinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up49arrow-down5·4 months agoWhat’s funny is how absurd this is. Most flowers don’t look like birds and they’re fine.
minus-squareHawk@lemmy.dbzer0.comlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up31arrow-down1·4 months agoThis has nothing to do with natural selection. It’s just a coincidence that the buds very shortly and from a specific angle vaguely look like birds. Most of the images shared are probably photoshopped to enhance the effect too.
minus-squarevzq@lemmy.blahaj.zonelinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up35·4 months agolooks at user name Sounds like something a BIRD would say!
minus-squareorphiebaby@lemm.eelinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up3arrow-down2·4 months agoI don’t think photoshop is needed to find the right flowers and photograph at the right angle.
minus-squarefine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.delinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up1·4 months agoWow you’re right. It’s more like “look at this blossom that looks a bit like a bird” rather than “look at this type of tree that makes bird-like blossoms”.
minus-squareZink@pawb.sociallinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up17·4 months agoIt’s about tiny percents. A bird will land on a flower. A bird will not land on a bird. So every one in a million time a bird mistakes a flower for a bird, that’s a flower that survives. All you have to do is wait a couple million years for the odds to turn in the bird flower’s favor.
minus-squareorphiebaby@lemm.eelinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up2arrow-down2·4 months ago…But birds pollinate flowers. How is a bird not landing on this (particular, too) flower going to help it survive?
minus-squarefuckingkangaroos@lemm.eelinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up7·4 months agoMaybe they’re tree scarecrows to keep bugs away
minus-squareoce 🐆@jlai.lulinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up6·4 months agoSir, I believe those would be scarebugs.
minus-squareOld_Fat_White_Guy@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up2·4 months agoIf they keep bugs away then I’ll take a dozen.
minus-squareExocrinous@lemm.eelinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up13·4 months agoRight, but what about the mimic plant? It mimicks whatever plant is near it. And it can mimic plastic plants. https://www.vox.com/down-to-earth/2022/11/30/23473062/plant-mimicry-boquila-trifoliolata
minus-squareryannathans@aussie.zonelinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up3·4 months agoShould be a pretty trivial experiment to replicate
They dont. It just happens that natural selection favored flowers that looked vaguely bird like and over time, flowers that looked more and more like a bird outcompeted the ones that looked less like one.
What’s funny is how absurd this is. Most flowers don’t look like birds and they’re fine.
This has nothing to do with natural selection. It’s just a coincidence that the buds very shortly and from a specific angle vaguely look like birds.
Most of the images shared are probably photoshopped to enhance the effect too.
looks at user name
Sounds like something a BIRD would say!
Squaaawk, you got me!
I don’t think photoshop is needed to find the right flowers and photograph at the right angle.
Wow you’re right.
It’s more like “look at this blossom that looks a bit like a bird” rather than “look at this type of tree that makes bird-like blossoms”.
It’s about tiny percents.
A bird will land on a flower.
A bird will not land on a bird.
So every one in a million time a bird mistakes a flower for a bird, that’s a flower that survives.
All you have to do is wait a couple million years for the odds to turn in the bird flower’s favor.
…But birds pollinate flowers. How is a bird not landing on this (particular, too) flower going to help it survive?
Maybe they’re tree scarecrows to keep bugs away
Sir, I believe those would be scarebugs.
If they keep bugs away then I’ll take a dozen.
Right, but what about the mimic plant? It mimicks whatever plant is near it. And it can mimic plastic plants. https://www.vox.com/down-to-earth/2022/11/30/23473062/plant-mimicry-boquila-trifoliolata
Should be a pretty trivial experiment to replicate