Posted on 12/21/2006 3:49:48 PM PST by blam
Squirrels accurately predict bumper harvests
19:00 21 December 2006
NewScientist.com news service
Roxanne Khamsi
Squirrels can somehow predict which years trees will produce massive amounts of seed, a new study reveals. The animals produce an extra litter of pups months ahead of these unusually large harvests, researchers report.
The scientists analysed 16 years of data on American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) populations in Yukon, Canada.
As part of the experiment, Andrew McAdam of Michigan State University and his colleagues lured the animals into traps with peanut butter and then tagged them. The team periodically recaptured the squirrels and assessed whether the females were pregnant or not.
They also recorded the amount of cones produced by spruce trees in the area. The edible seed inside these cones is the red squirrels' primary food.
The number of cones produced by the spruce trees in autumn varies widely from year to year. A single spruce tree might produce 10 cones one year, but more than 500 the next. By producing very few cones some years, the trees starve their seed predators, giving themselves an evolutionary advantage.
But McAdams and his teammates noticed a curious trend: While squirrels typically mate in January and give birth to their pups from March, they would also produce a second litter in the spring ahead of a bumper cone harvest.
(Excerpt) Read more at newscientist.com ...
They could not refrain from making this assertion. Likely the squirrels notice the abundance of flowering buds in the springtime, and have an additional litter. Everything from single celled organisms to humans reproduce by adapting to conditions. Not necessarily evolving. The trees may have an adaptive advantage that has much more to do with soil nutrients and rainfall. To infer that a tree is evolving and sentient enough to discern an advantage is absurd.
The only bumper harvest our squirrels know anything about is the harvest that comes out the back door. If we didn't feed them they would storm the place.
They are just like my daughter, who still thinks you dig potatoes out of gravy...
Couldn't help but think of all the squirrels harvested by bumpers up and down my road.
no, our 'undocumented friends' harvest bumpers. and thank goodness for that or they'd cost twice as much!
Hmmmm. I wonder what it is they expect a bumper harvest of in my attic?
I'm a bit of a dog nut, and I've got one in my car.
http://www.physorg.com/news85937631.html
snip
The international team of researchers found that the trees have been trying to outwit the squirrels by implementing a "swamp and starve" tactic. This is actually an evolutionary strategy by the trees to thwart the animals that eat its seed. In bust years the trees try to starve their seed predators so that in boom years there are few seed eaters around and they are swamped by all of the seed available. The seed predators can’t respond in time to the increased production because they can’t predict when it is going to occur. The net result is that more seed escapes to germinate in a mast year as compared to a strategy where the trees produce a constant amount of seed each year.
He. Hehehe. BWAHHAHAAAAHAHAHHAAAA!
It is getting so hard to take these otherwise intelligent people serious. Thanks for the laugh.
although, I was cutting down a tree the other day, and could have sworn I cut through it's brain...
"By producing very few cones some years, the trees starve their seed predators, giving themselves an evolutionary advantage."
Trees do not want to starve their 'seed predators.' Without the squirrels the trees could only drop their cones in a small radius - as far as they could get with a bounce and a roll. Squirrels carry the nuts a distance, cache them, and forget a lot. As I can tell by the oak saplings I pull up every year - there isn't an oak tree within 300 feet of my yard. Ditto walnuts and horse chesnuts.
Mrs VS
The squirrels didn't forget or lose the nuts, they planted them for future generations of squirrels. They're farmers too.
In an evolutionary game of tug-of-war, red squirrels have gained the upper hand over the cunning spruce trees, says new University of Alberta research that suggests the clever animals are staying one step ahead of its food source.
http://www.physorg.com/news85937631.html
Apparently, the spruce tree has evolved a greater cunning than your oaks.
They are slowly, but surely taking over the world.
Well, there you go then. A win-win.
Mrs VS
I usually see squirrels harvested by tires, rather than bumpers.
You must live where the squirrels are small and un-evolved.
Must be true, for three of the vehicles out in my barn do not HAVE bumpers: they are GONE!
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Specifically, in Lafayette Park across from the White House. Some call it the "Squirrel Capital" of the World. Squirrels roam free and are well feed by the thousands of Government employees and visitors that tour the park daily. |
I thought it was inside the Capitol Building!
Sadly, many people will actually BELIEVE this tripe!!!
No, they don't. They can't seem to make it past the tires.......
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