[MUD-Dev] Evolutionary Design

[Lars Duening]

Sasha Hart wrote:

> Somewhat surprisingly, a pigeon's adult seed-eating is actually a
> developed skill (check out
> http://www.pigeon.psy.tufts.edu/avc/balsam/default.htm#development).
> the gist is that a pigeon raised on a powder diet has trouble
> grabbing seed; make of it what you will, the point is that certain
> conditions need to obtain for the pecking response to get its
> form; pecking at seed, like pecking a key, isn't a given, though
> the process of learning either is probably not so complicated).

It does make sense, as it allows the pigeons to adapt their pecking
to the food available to them. A pigeon born with the fully
developed skill 'peck for wheat grain' would starve when exposed to,
say, quenoa grain; obviously pigeons born with the skill 'ability to
learn pecking' have the upper wing in changing environments.

--
Lars Duening; lars at bearnip.com
GPG Key: http://www.bearnip.com/lars/lars-duening.gpgkey

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