Comment on Evolution: 🖕
TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 23 hours ago
In all seriousness, human elderlies are actually evolutionary anomaly, because if Darwinian tenet of “survival of the fittest” applies 100% of the time, they would not be the norm. But the fact that old people are prevalent in human society is the proof that we are compassionate and loving creatures that transcend cold evolutionary programming. We care for others and the vulnerable.
Sure, in the context of physical abilities.
However, i think bands of hominids who care for each other have a survival advantage. I guess thats who we’ve evolved to be social creatures.
Also, nanna might not be able to hunt mammoths anymore, but she knows what to do in years when the mammoth dont come.
darwinian selection has nothing to do with aging. that’s religious right / 1920s robber baron bullshit.
Actually having elders in human societies is shown to positively correlate with better outcomes for the youth in that society. Grandmothers in particular have a measurable benefit.
Yeah. The idea is that, since our offspring take SO long to mature and take so many resources relative to other animals, that it makes more sense at some point for mothers to devote their resources to existing children rather than focus on trying to have more.
Ohh, add this recent episode of Radiolab to the list.
Except that it isn’t a religious thing. Human’s are something of an evolutionary anomaly in the sense that the only other animals on earth who go through menopause are a few species of whales. There’s a whole evolutionary theory tied to it called [the grandmother hypothesis] (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandmother_hypothesis). Or you can watch this PBS video about it if you don’t feel like reading. It’s pretty interesting really.
There are other species which have elderly members, namely whales and elephants.
It’s postulated that having grandmothers helps in a species where young take a long time to mature.
And how many successful actually productive and generous persons alive wore glasses? Yep, you entered another mind trap.
I posted this further down but you would enjoy it if you haven’t seen it already. The end of the video supports your statement. Why Your Grandmother Is an Evolutionary Mystery
It was Herbert Spencer who coined the phrase “survival of the fittest,” and felt that Darwin’s biological theory of natural selection could be expanded to other aspects of society like philosophy and economics. His writings were misinterpreted by the creators of social Darwinism theory and eugenicists.
fact that old people are prevalent in human society is the proof that we are compassionate and loving creatures
It could be media/social programing from perspective of the wiser imposed on the foolish.
Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 23 hours ago
Almost all of it comes down to how long it takes to raise children. It takes a lot more people and effort and time to raise humans vs any other species, and its made us unique in that we have essentially support roles. Elderly people, people who can’t or dont want to have kids of their own, even older children, all have a role to play in making sure we make it to adulthood and continue the species.
Patches@ttrpg.network 22 hours ago
Does anyone currently have any elders taking care of their kids? Or having done so?
The current generation of Elders living today aren’t doing shit for support.
I would argue given how much voting power they have - they are actively making it worse for parents.
BastingChemina@slrpnk.net 14 hours ago
Yes, my mother in law is living with us and helping is to take care of our 4 years old and 2 years old
Djehngo@lemmy.world 21 hours ago
It’s becoming more common where I am for a couple to move back to somewhere near one of their sets of parents before they have kids so they can rely on them for occasional childcare since both of the new parents usually have jobs
jnod4@lemmy.ca 21 hours ago
The grandparents have jobs as well here in uk so nobody has families anymore…
kieron115@startrek.website 22 hours ago
I think it’s less common in northern america than in other continents.
BastingChemina@slrpnk.net 14 hours ago
The “grandmother theory” is supporting this idea.
The idea is that past a certain age there is an evolutionary benefit to not be able to have kids anymore. Past a certain age, to pass our genes it’s more beneficial to be able to help descendants with their kids rather than having kids on our own.