drsillyus t1_iy5kwx7 wrote
Reply to comment by mobrocket in The fact that Cats are far more dangerous than Wolf Spiders, yet we love them far more and are far less afraid of them, says a lot about how humans value physical appearance in creatures by Run_MCID37
I don't fear spiders. I think they're cute.
I am aware of what evolution does and doesn't do.
Innate fear of snakes and other deadly animals is documented across the globe in many species. It is simply another example.
Only since we began growing in population and forming cities, was there a danger from other humans.
This being only a thousand years in effect, next to millions of years of non city living, where other humans were the only thing you could be sure was not going to kill and eat you. It makes no sense to fear humans since there has not been enough time for evolution to take effect.
Humans didn't spread disease more than insects until we developed global travel.
Evolution happens over hundreds of thousands of years at a minium.
Do you get it? City life and the dangerous nature of humans has only been present for mere thousands of years.
Not enough time for evolution.
Lack of medicine and knowledge, meant that a spider bite, even a non venomous one, would likely spell death by infection to any early human
mobrocket t1_iy5lxdt wrote
What... No...
Human tribes would kill each other long before the first city... Where are you getting your information???
And humans have been spreading diseases to each other since humans existed. The fucking common cold doesn't need a insect vector to spread... not to mention diseases spread genetically.
And an overwhelming number of spider bites need zero medical treatment. There are 45000 species of spiders and only about 30.or so are harmful to people...
drsillyus t1_iy5mj0i wrote
You forget about medicine. Before sanitation, a splinter was death. Any open wound would basically kill you. That includes spider bites.
You seem to not really understand how evolution works.
Sure humans killed each other, but they also helped and bred with them, furthering the species and reenforcing that, those who don't run from the cave men, have children.
However, those who did not avoid biting insects, would simply die and not breed.
Over millions of years this creates an effect.
Learn more about evolution. It doesn't do what you think it does.
mobrocket t1_iy5n2b3 wrote
I give up... If you think a splinter means death... That's such a rare case even without medicine it's ridiculous to even pose that. Because by your logic every human would have died.
drsillyus t1_iy5nn5g wrote
You may want to look into that. There have been many deaths by splinters, even in modern times.
You forget that humans used to have 15 kids and only 1-2 would make it to adulthood. Oh so many died
PeeledCrepes t1_iy65rz5 wrote
Humans avoiding animals that kill them is not innate, you never seen a little kid get near deadly snakes? It's something that's taught by the parent because the parent knows.
Humans have always been problematic to other humans that's prolly the silliest thing you've said. Humans are rather territorial specially in the days when every scrap mattered, killings used to be a lot more common.
To the last part yes and no. A spider bite could get infected and kill someone back then yes. Just like an infected tooth and look how that's gone. Evolution doesn't work like that. Evolution doesn't cause people to be scared of spiders. Your mom screaming spider while burning the house down causes fear of spiders. That shits learned behavior not evolution
drsillyus t1_iy67zxl wrote
You're cherry picking examples. Evolution isn't alway perfect, traits aren't passed on to everyone.
Every animal on the planet has been proven to have fear instincts for survival.
Cats who have literally never seen a snake, still fear snake like objects.
Infants instinctively know how to hold their breath and swim
Extreme phobias are learned. For sure, but that in no way negates the fact that, there are instinctual fears that have been passed on
In the past, humans were more likely to die from environmental factors, than other humans. 99% of ancient man's death, was via predator or disease.
Just look at common apes for the exact examples.
They war over territory and kill each other sure, but they die 99% from predators, insects or disease.
You really don't see how that is the main factor, not the random tribes.
Shit, for a lot of our evolution we were literally rodents. That stuff hasn't gone away.
Learn more about evolution please.
Those who avoided death, bred. That is all
Stop citing examples that are too recent for evolution.
PeeledCrepes t1_iy6d2ao wrote
Fear is an instictual behavior, fear of the unknown is evolution, fear of specifics is not.
drsillyus t1_iy6ifkq wrote
That's an opinion, not backed up by the evidence.
Evolution also selected for the following, in relation to spiders and other crawling insects.
Killing them, hiding behind those who kill them, staying in a group that deters insects, people who make fires, people who avoided all bugs and more.
Just becasue some people have no Innate fear of insects, does not mean that evolution has not selected for revulsion towards insects.
The fact that so much knowledge is available about how harmless most insects are medical treatment exists for nearly all bites, yet arachnaphobia does not go away, kind of shows you how persistent the fear is in some humans.
Just because you don't think it makes sense, doesn't mean evolution hasn't selected for it.
Many pointless things get passed on. Fear of the specific is a real evolution.
Why else would a cat, who has seen snake like toys, still recoil in fear over a fake snake behind them?
Because snakes fed on cats a lot.
Just like minor insect injuries killed countless millions of humans over the millenia
PeeledCrepes t1_iy6stkt wrote
Humans aren't social and use fire to repel insects... nor does being social or in a group stop an insect? Arachnaphobia doesn't go away cause people don't want bit? People are scared of bees where unless your allergic it does nothing, people are scared of ants for the same reason. Cats are scared of snakes because snakes are silent. Snakes feed on cats when possible considering a ton of snakes couldn't eat a full grown cat. I get what your saying it's just in practice, my kid isn't scared of spiders. I am almost not scared of spiders, is that because evolution? No I learned how to deal with spiders and stopped being scared (ironically same with bees, just don't bother them and they don't bother you)
drsillyus t1_iy6tlz8 wrote
You keep thinking evolituon is logical and follows exact death tolls
It doesn't. Learn more come back ffs. You're pretty much a kid or severely learning disabled to be this far off the point and this unable to grasp evolution
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