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[-] Zehzin@lemmy.world 101 points 11 months ago

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

[-] Shawdow194@kbin.social 38 points 11 months ago

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 11 months ago

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 11 months ago

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

[-] fossphi@lemm.ee 2 points 11 months ago

Aah indeed, now I'm aware :)

[-] Shawdow194@kbin.social 5 points 11 months ago

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 11 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 11 months ago

Animals are a social construct

[-] DroneRights@lemm.ee 1 points 11 months ago

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

[-] Cralder@feddit.nu 33 points 11 months ago

"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 11 months ago* (last edited 11 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 11 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.

[-] Waluigis_Talking_Buttplug@lemmy.world 18 points 11 months ago

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

this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2023
346 points (98.9% liked)

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