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- TL;DR Summary
- limits to evolutionary characteristics
I was watching a grey squirrel the other day who stood out amongst green leaves, and wondered whether there was a reason no mammals have evolved green fur (AFAIK?)? I'm aware there are a couple who allow green algae to grow in their fur (sloth and polar bears).
I mean we have weird things like a mammal with a beak that lays eggs, venomous fangs and detects things with electricity. Green fur would seem positively 'normal'!?
On the subject of evolutionary 'stuff' that doesn't quite make sense, the other one I have pondered on is why we store fat if our calorific intake exceeds our calorific use? I mean , why fat? Why not store it as muscle that would be a bit more useful? Why do we have to exercise to grow bigger muscles, why not store energy in bigger muscles. OK, so fat helps as a thermal insulation, but one only needs so-much thermal insulation? I'd have thought survival would have been better amongst animals that make more muscle than fat (assuming the muscle was evolved to be broken up for energy as a food store if necessary)?
Any other evolutionary odd outcomes with similar unclear reasons?
I mean we have weird things like a mammal with a beak that lays eggs, venomous fangs and detects things with electricity. Green fur would seem positively 'normal'!?
On the subject of evolutionary 'stuff' that doesn't quite make sense, the other one I have pondered on is why we store fat if our calorific intake exceeds our calorific use? I mean , why fat? Why not store it as muscle that would be a bit more useful? Why do we have to exercise to grow bigger muscles, why not store energy in bigger muscles. OK, so fat helps as a thermal insulation, but one only needs so-much thermal insulation? I'd have thought survival would have been better amongst animals that make more muscle than fat (assuming the muscle was evolved to be broken up for energy as a food store if necessary)?
Any other evolutionary odd outcomes with similar unclear reasons?