5 Replies to “Bizarre Love Triangle of the Giant Cuttlefish”
They’re sea cuttles mate, sea cuttles…
Blah blah blah. Anthropomorphize anthropomorphize anthropomorphize. Maybe sea cuttles (teehee) are just into that. I mean, you know, maybe they’re bros, and he’s just tryin’ to help out his little friend who otherwise has no luck with the ladies. Cuttlefish wing-man, anyone? It’s equally plausible, if you’re going to jump on the anthropomorphizing bandwagon.
(and if you want me to get all Roughgardian, I’d say this is an incomplete story – we need to know what other benefits that having the little dude around does for both the male, female, and fitness of their offspring. This whole ‘sneaker’ thing is a data-less supposition of our gendered values on the whole thing. Unless you have real data on cost with no benefit, which I’d find interesting, not to mention unlikely – once the ability to recognize a ‘sneaker’ evolves, that strategy is shut down.)
Need I remind you, this is territory I’ve covered before. I’m guessing some re-dubbing of this video could tell a very different and equally plausible story.
p.s. I don’t know this literature at all. I’m just raising some points about cultural filters of sexual selection. If this has been worked out and cost to the larger male without a benefit of any sort has been shown, I’d love to hear the definitive story. In the mean time, Scott Richmond should be proud!
flippercanorious little sausages…
Wow! Smack down by the Penis Fencing chordate jebyrnes! Cock-blocking in the ocean-critter-o-sphere? You make the call. Can’t wait for the Z man’s reply.
They’re sea cuttles mate, sea cuttles…
Blah blah blah. Anthropomorphize anthropomorphize anthropomorphize. Maybe sea cuttles (teehee) are just into that. I mean, you know, maybe they’re bros, and he’s just tryin’ to help out his little friend who otherwise has no luck with the ladies. Cuttlefish wing-man, anyone? It’s equally plausible, if you’re going to jump on the anthropomorphizing bandwagon.
(and if you want me to get all Roughgardian, I’d say this is an incomplete story – we need to know what other benefits that having the little dude around does for both the male, female, and fitness of their offspring. This whole ‘sneaker’ thing is a data-less supposition of our gendered values on the whole thing. Unless you have real data on cost with no benefit, which I’d find interesting, not to mention unlikely – once the ability to recognize a ‘sneaker’ evolves, that strategy is shut down.)
Need I remind you, this is territory I’ve covered before. I’m guessing some re-dubbing of this video could tell a very different and equally plausible story.
p.s. I don’t know this literature at all. I’m just raising some points about cultural filters of sexual selection. If this has been worked out and cost to the larger male without a benefit of any sort has been shown, I’d love to hear the definitive story. In the mean time, Scott Richmond should be proud!
flippercanorious little sausages…
Wow! Smack down by the Penis Fencing chordate jebyrnes! Cock-blocking in the ocean-critter-o-sphere? You make the call. Can’t wait for the Z man’s reply.