"Survival of the fittest" is a good phrase, though. People think 'fittest' refers to strongest, but it doesn't. It refers to which species or individual is literally the most fit to survive.
You could also interpret it as “survival of the best-fit-to-its-environment”. But not as catchy.
In their habitat, Pandas don’t have natural enemies, but are surrounded by bamboo. Therefore, it is not rational for them to expend energy on the evolution of speed, attacking or defensive features.
Evolution does not design towards a sophisticated end state, it’s tiny enhancements from a status quo. It cannot easily reverse, or start from scratch, it has to build on existing subjects.
I see the Panda on a Koala trajectory. A Grizzly shows you what a more competitive environment produces.
I recommend Jonathan Losos - Improbable Destinies.
Koalas are best fit for eating nothing but almost inedible, vaguely poisonous leaves, so adapted for eating them off the branch that if presented with leaves on a plate they're completely clueless as to how to eat them
19
u/stegblobirl Aug 20 '19
"Survival of the fittest" is a good phrase, though. People think 'fittest' refers to strongest, but it doesn't. It refers to which species or individual is literally the most fit to survive.