[__ Science __ ] Evolution Doesn’t Explain Cowbirds and Other Brood Parasites

[AIG.com]

Why do some creatures leave their young for others to raise?

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[Josef]

Hey All,

Including humans.
Why do humans willingly leave their children for others to raise?
If we eliminate sickness, death and poverty, what is left?
An insufficient motherly instinct.
In most species of mammals the mother will fight to the death to protect their young.

So what could the answer be?

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

 

[miamited]

Hi all,

Well, as far as the OP's desire to teach on this subject, I have no problem. But neither do I find it some necessary theological question to be answered. I mean, it's not something covered in God's word.

However, the answer to why any animal acts differently than man, is this:

“Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So honestly, for me, while this may be a good treatise for some scientific methodology to study, I don't find it having any theological purpose.

We were given the task of ruling over the animal kingdom... not being like the animal kingdom. God made a whole lot of animals and each one lives their lives differently in some way than the others. Some give birth to one or two. Some give birth to hundreds at a time. Some take care of their offspring for a time. Some just walk away once they've laid their egg/eggs and the new animal fends for itself the best it can. There's a lot of diversity in all the plants and animals that God has created.

Although, as I look back now, I see that the real issue for discussion is evolutionary theory and I'm not quite clear on why the first post brings up the issue of the birthing of various animals. So maybe I'm off track here.

God bless,
Ted

 

[Barbarian]

Am Nat
2023 Aug;202(2):107-121.

Evolutionary Origins and Patterns of Diversification in Animal Brood Parasitism​

Brood parasitism involves the exploitation of host parental care rather than the extraction of resources directly from hosts. We identify defining characteristics of this strategy and consider its position along continua with adjacent behaviors but focus on canonical brood parasites, where parasitism is obligate and hosts are noneusocial (thereby distinguishing from social parasitism). A systematic literature survey revealed 59 independently derived brood parasitic lineages with most origins (49) in insects, particularly among bees and wasps, and other origins in birds (seven) and fish (three). Insects account for more than 98% of brood parasitic species, with much of that diversity reflecting ancient (≥100-million-year-old) brood parasitic lineages. Brood parasites usually, but not always, evolve from forms that show parental care. In insects, brood parasitism often first evolves through exploitation of a closely related species, following Emery's rule, but this is less typical in birds, which we discuss. We conducted lineage-level comparisons between brood parasitic clades and their sister groups, finding mixed results but an overall neutral to negative effect of brood parasitism on species richness and diversification. Our review of brood parasites reveals many unanswered questions requiring new research, including further modeling of the coevolutionary dynamics of brood parasites and their hosts.

 

[Uncle J]

Okay, that's hilarious. I can't tell you how many times I've seen creationists shout "evolutionists can't explain X" only to have those danged scientists show up and explain it.

I'd think that'd be frustrating for the folks at AiG, but my bet is it doesn't even register....the info just rolls off 'em like water off a duck's back.

 

[Barbarian]

Including humans.
Why do humans willingly leave their children for others to raise?
If we eliminate sickness, death and poverty, what is left?
An insufficient motherly instinct.
In most species of mammals the mother will fight to the death to protect their young.

So what could the answer be?

For species involved in brood parasitism, it's likely that the parenting instinct has pretty much withered. When a feature ceases to be of much use, it tends to be selected against.

Jesus taught us to regard all other humans as entirely worthy of our love and care, and some humans are pretty good at following His lead. But the parenting instinct still survives.

Years ago, some person in authority did something completely uncalled for to one of our children. When we found out about it, Patricia didn't throw a major fit; she just growled "I'll get him." It was chilling. And she did get him. Human mothers have no mercy, no remorse or sense of proportion when it comes to protecting their children.