this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2023
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Science Memes

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[–] Zehzin@lemmy.world 99 points 10 months ago (3 children)

99% is pretty impressive, most species have 100% mortality rate

[–] Shawdow194@kbin.social 38 points 10 months ago (2 children)

That's an interesting point!

Any animal that changes or metamorphosises into a different animal technically has a less than 100% mortality rate

[–] fossphi@lemm.ee 9 points 10 months ago (3 children)

Hmm, interesting indeed! I get what you're trying to say, but I would also tend to believe that it's still the same animal? If not that, then wouldn't the caterpillar cease to exist when it metamorphosised into something else?

[–] Albbi@lemmy.ca 7 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Caterpillar is not actually an animal though, it's a stage of life.

[–] fossphi@lemm.ee 2 points 10 months ago

Aah indeed, now I'm aware :)

[–] Shawdow194@kbin.social 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I would also lean closer towards 'same animal' but its physical morphology undergoes such drastic changes its definitely blurred lines

Psychologically I think there are tests that show butterflies and moths retain memories from pre-metamorphisis stages

Metaphysical questions are so cool just because we may never be able to answer them!!!

[–] fossphi@lemm.ee 1 points 10 months ago

As mentioned in one of the comments, since caterpillar is just a stage of life, I guess it isn't as much of a contradiction/paradox then.

But yes, stuff like this is loads of fun! :D

[–] DroneRights@lemm.ee 1 points 10 months ago

Animals are a social construct

[–] DroneRights@lemm.ee 1 points 10 months ago

This is why the infant mortality rate isn't 100%

[–] Cralder@feddit.nu 32 points 10 months ago (2 children)

"Caterpillar" is not a species. It's a stage of some animals' life cycle. It means 99% of catepillars die before they become butterflies or moths or whatever

[–] NoSpotOfGround@lemmy.world 14 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

So caterpillars do have a chance to be "immortal" and transcend instead to a superior state of existence* at the end of their time. Whoa.

*that is, unfortunately, very mortal.

[–] averagedrunk@lemmy.ml 5 points 10 months ago

I wish it were 100% in tomato hornworms. Seeing that 99% of them die before turning into moths makes me think all of the surviving ones just hang out in my garden.

I think noting caterpillar is the same as say infant death rate for humans