Chapter 670 The Holistic Nature of Evolution
Musk oxen are a species endemic to the Arctic tundra.
In summer, it prefers the shelter of moist lowlands, such as river valleys and lakesides; in winter it moves to higher slopes, plateaus, and areas of deep snow accumulation to facilitate foraging.
Under normal circumstances, musk oxen appear to be extremely docile. They stop to eat a little food, then lie flat on the ground to chew slowly, and soon fall asleep.
When he is a little more awake, he walks forward a little further and then repeats the same routine: eating, ruminating, and dozing off.
It may seem lazy, but it actually contains the survival wisdom of polar creatures.
Doing so can reduce energy consumption and lower food requirements.
Because the musk ox is so efficient at retaining energy, it requires only one-sixth the food of a similarly sized cattle.
That is why Bifang can wait for a whole day before tracking with peace of mind.
He was confident that he could catch up with the musk ox if he walked naturally, even on foot.
Coupled with the strong smell of the grass, it proved that the musk oxen herd had not been away for long, definitely not more than five days.
Of course, walking slowly does not mean that musk oxen cannot run fast. During the breeding period, these super beasts weighing more than 350 kilograms can run at a speed close to 50 kilometers per hour.
With their terrifying mass and speed, they bring with them extremely huge momentum. When these furry Arctic beasts collide head-on, they will stab their opponents with their huge and sharp horns. At the moment of collision, the earth will shake.
What's more, a male musk ox may be hit in the head more than 2,100 times during their 10- to 12-year lifespan.
The audience almost jumped out of their seats when they heard this terrifying number.
[2100 times???]
[Five thousand momentum...]
[Is there anyone who can help calculate how many joules of kinetic energy there are? ]
[After some calculation, a momentum of 5,000 is approximately 35,000 joules of kinetic energy...]
[The muzzle energy of an AK47 is about 2,000 joules (covering face)]
[Is being hit by this thing like being hit by an anti-aircraft gun? ]
How do musk oxen survive these attacks without having their brains smashed into mush?
This is the question that lingers in everyone's mind.
It was as if I was seeing the giant bull that created the mountains in mythology.
"It has always been assumed that animals like musk oxen and bighorn sheep that attack with their heads are somehow immune to head injuries. It's like they have some magical horns."
"But in fact, this kind of impact is indeed harmful. Not only is there no immunity, but it will also cause chronic damage to the brain of the musk ox, just like Alzheimer's disease in humans."
Bifang's statement has scientific basis, and the musk ox's behavior is also the first time that humans have detected whether this kind of collision between animals will cause damage.
"In the brain of an organism, there is a protein called tau. Whether it is due to aging, genetic problems or mechanical impact, as long as the neurons are damaged, they will be torn apart, and the tau protein will break down and form clumps."
"And when probed with fluorescent markers, the tau protein in the musk ox's brain glowed like a lit Christmas tree."
"Evolution can lead an individual species down a surprising path of self-destruction."
Bifang told a shocking fact.
All evolution is essentially for the better reproduction of species.
The survival of the individual is actually unimportant.
This is also the cruelest scene in evolution.
As for whether musk oxen really suffer from a disease like dementia, who knows?
Musk oxen don't have a behavioral scale, and humans don't know whether they feel they are forgetful.
There was no doubt that their brains were damaged.
"Musk oxen fight many times every year, but if they want to reproduce successfully even once, they have to collide, which catalyzes the slow death of the brain. From an evolutionary point of view, as long as the musk ox 'does not die'."
audience:"???"
"For example, the dark-bellied marsupial is a small carnivore native to mainland Australia and Tasmania that gives birth to only one baby for life."
"It means they reproduce once and then die. Female marsupials can live two to three years or more. Males rarely live past 11 months."
"They have a very frenetic mating season, where the males' mating can last 12 to 14 hours during the breeding season, after which each male will mate with as many other females as possible - leading to his death."
“It’s a bit like a beehive, where worker bees succeed in getting genes not by reproducing themselves, but by helping their mother, the queen of the colony, to produce offspring.”
"An ant colony or hive is more like a large animal, with the queen ant or queen bee representing the reproductive organs. These little worker bees are so numerous and require only a small amount of resources to support, so they are similar to human cells in a way."
"So, the same is true for musk oxen. As long as it promotes reproduction, the survival of that individual is actually irrelevant compared to the entire population."
"This also results in male musk oxen living less than 15 years, while female musk oxen can live between 15 and 23 years."
"Their lives are not that complicated. So, they probably just live long enough to get what they need to do done."
The brand new snowshoes are made of wooden boards, which are at least several times better than the original crude version made of branches. When stepping on the snow, they only sink a few centimeters before stopping, reducing resistance to a minimum.
Although the picture is moving towards the distance, the audience is still trapped in the "cruel truth" that has just happened.
[Do humans have this kind of individual reproductive defect? ]
An audience member asked a question.
"It's not clear yet." Bifang shook his head. This was his blind spot in knowledge, or no one had studied this aspect yet, but there was no doubt that it actually existed.
But I can’t go into details because Bifang is afraid that his live broadcast room will be blocked, ahem.
Although the probability is small, it is better to say less.
[I have been hurt by alcohol and sex, and I am so haggard! From today on, I will give up drinking! ]
[Shu, you didn't mention a word]
【Can’t be astringent】
[God, I will never tolerate gambling and drugs! ]
After chasing for a whole day, Bifang got nothing. Looking at the setting sun, Bifang sat on the ground.
Compared to when I first arrived, the daytime sleep time could last for more than six hours. Now it’s not even six hours. The time is terribly tight.
However, it was really too early, and Bifang only thought for a moment before deciding to travel overnight.
It has been sunny for two consecutive days, and the nights are not unbearably cold. It would be a pity not to take advantage of it.
After chasing for a whole day, the best news was that visible traces of musk ox finally appeared on the snow, which meant that the distance between Bifang and the musk ox was only two days after the snowstorm ended.
Bifang was confident that he could catch up with them tomorrow morning.
