this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2023
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Memes

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[–] [email protected] 121 points 10 months ago (2 children)

So, it's more interesting than this. The trees are playing the squirrels. There's a normal amount of acorns that can support a normal amount of squirrels. But once every few years, the trees make a bunch more acorns. More than the normal amount of squirrels can eat. But not frequent enough that the number of squirrels increase. So the squirrels go crazy and hide em everywhere that year, but there's no way they can eat them all, so there are a bunch of acorns planted.
Tldr: trees manipulate # of acorns to get squirrels to plant more.

[–] [email protected] 49 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It's amazing nature found this blindly and it was the most efficient way to propagate as a species.

[–] [email protected] 60 points 10 months ago (1 children)

It was a good enough* way to propagate as a species

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Local minimum, not a global minimum. Evolution is one long autoregressive process.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

I just learned two new words

[–] PM_ME_FEET_PICS 1 points 10 months ago

The squirrel population booms during these drop years and then starve off the years after as the normal amount of drops return.

[–] ikapoz 97 points 10 months ago (4 children)

Acorn trees? You mean oak trees?

[–] [email protected] 70 points 10 months ago

The ones that make acorns. Acorn tree. ‘S got acorns on it, what else do you call it?

[–] [email protected] 48 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (3 children)

Bruh, I know the difference, and you know the difference, but the person I shamelessly stole this meme from doesn't. Please file your concerns with them.

[–] [email protected] 89 points 10 months ago (4 children)

By reposting the meme, you have implicitly accepted full responsibility for it's content. That's like rule 7 of the Internet or something.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 10 months ago

Fight Club Rule 7: Fights will go on as long as they have to.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

You're right, but I've said it before, and I'll say it again - they can't all be winners.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

Please file your complaint with someone who gives a shit

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

Here's your dunce cap: ∆

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

To whomever it may concern:

The fuck is that???

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

I interpreted it to be from the squirrel's perspective. Let alone miraculously knowing what an acorn and a tree are called, how do you expect a squirrel to know it's an Oak tree?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago

Haha yes indeed therein lies the humor ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️

[–] [email protected] 13 points 10 months ago (2 children)

But not for you, only for your grand x 100 children

[–] [email protected] 15 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

You don't get a 250 year old forest in 25 years

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago

Well, not with that attitude.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 months ago (1 children)

? I planted an oak tree when I was 6, it's now over 40ft tall, and is currently dropping more acorns than the squirrels can handle. I'm 37 now for reference.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Ever met a 30 year old squirrel? Idk to be honest I have no idea how long they live

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

5-10 years, I just looked it up. So 1st set of grandkids should be able to benefit, as it's dropping acorns by year 10 or so

[–] Piemanding 2 points 10 months ago

But they mature within a year. So a generation would be every year for squirrels.

[–] hunter2 10 points 10 months ago

What a hero, single-handedly counteracting deforestation. You go squirrel man, you go!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 10 months ago

"Accidentally"
"Forgetting"

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

Squirrels in it for the long con.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

That was the goal all along.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

So all the clever squirrels die of malnutrition?

Makes me wonder which mechanism has limited human intelligence.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 10 months ago

Death in childbirth because human heads are enormous?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 10 months ago

Ah yes the Sarah Silverman bit in a meme

[–] [email protected] 0 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

Huh, I'm not a squirrel expert at all but I understood that they're pretty good at remembering their stashes.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 10 months ago

Forgetful squirrels are one of the primary drivers of reforestation.