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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDeer have antlers, walruses have tusks - here's why so few birds have weapons of their own
By The Conversation
Published March 07, 2022
Mating season in the animal kingdom can be dramatic, and sometimes violent. As an example, take deer clashing their antlers during the rut nostrils flaring, hooves hammering the ground, grass flying everywhere, and that eerie silence before the thunderous collision. The winning buck gets access to the harem, while the loser must find other females to fight for.
Many other animals also have formidable weapons. They range from rhinoceros beetles pointy horns to fiddler crabs proportionally gigantic claws and the long tusks of walruses and narwhals.
Birds also need to compete for their mates, which often involves fiercely defending a territory. But most birds dont sport impressive weapons; we know them better for their colors, dances and songs. As evolutionary biologists primarily interested in birds and weapons, respectively, we couldnt help but wonder: Why do most birds lack their own version of antlers? The answer, which we present in a recent study, likely lies in a trade-off between flying and fighting.
https://www.rawstory.com/deer-have-antlers-walruses-have-tusks-heres-why-so-few-birds-have-weapons-of-their-own/
3Hotdogs
(12,210 posts)One starling chased another away from the suet. It went away, came back and got chased away a second time.
Kali
(54,990 posts)mopinko
(69,806 posts)also, because of their high heart rate, they bleed out reeeeeally quick.
and roosters have spurs.
Kali
(54,990 posts)really truly weapons
mopinko
(69,806 posts)so, spring of 2020, i tore up my neglected front yard garden.
i'm not religious in anyway, but i was making jokes about channeling kali.
well, as shit ran downhill all summer, by sept, i had lost patience w my neighbors. i posted a rant on my fb page, and to get people's attention, i posted a pic of the 'blue kali', like your avatar, but blue skin and a blue background. famous painting.
fast forward to about 2 months ago, had a prospective tenant. refugees from hondurus, 11 people.
the night before they're gonna sign, they go back through my fb page and find the post. scared the shit out of them. oh well. funny thing, they were being subsidized by a religious group, but had no idea who kali was, or why a farmer like me, who started out w a weedy eyesore w no soil, and built a whole ecosystem, would identify w her.
i've about lost hope for our species.
robbob
(3,514 posts)GoCubsGo
(32,061 posts)Their beaks are like stilettos. They use them to impale their food, ffs. Then there's eagles. I know some raptor rehabilitators. They keep a leather apron around in case they ever have to treat an eagle. It's to protect their innards from the eagle's talons, which could rip right through chest wall and belly, and into one's vital organs.
Skittles
(152,965 posts)thank you
turbinetree
(24,632 posts)dem4decades
(11,244 posts)Sure looks like it could do some damage to another hummer.
Donkees
(31,086 posts)The Aztecs believed that hummingbirds were the reincarnation of fallen warriors. When a warrior was killed in battle, he would return to Earth as a hummingbird, which the Aztec people referred to as 'dart hurlers.'
The Most Powerful Aztec God had the Hummingbird as his Spirit Animal
CULTURE | November 23, 2018
When you think of fierce, strong, noble animals
ones that would be a perfect symbol of the supreme power wielded by an all-mighty Aztec god, you would probably consider a vicious bear, dangerous alligator, or regal jaguar. But for Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of the sun and war, the most powerful god in the Aztec mythology, the fiercest, mightiest spirit animal he could attach to was a surprise contender
the diminutive hummingbird.
The Aztec people believed that Huitzilopochtli demanded to be honored with a blood sacrifice. The Aztec high priests would wear sacred cloaks made entirely of hummingbird skins
and estimated 8,000 tiny hummingbirds would be needed to make one adult-sized cloak. According to accounts, the cloaks were beautiful, shimmering, iridescent marvels. The priests wore them when they offered their sacrifices to the Huitzilopochtli. They cut the still-beating heart from a captive enemy or sacrificial slave and presented it to the hummingbird god to ensure victory in battle.
Hummingbirds are one of the most aggressive of all the bird species. Fighting happens frequently among hummingbirds, even one of the same species. They fight over territory, food sources, and, of course, female hummingbirds. Male hummingbirds, experts tell us, fight more often over territory. Female hummingbirds fight to defend their nests. During battle, the diminutive hummingbird will stab its opponent with its dagger-like beak and claw at him using its razor-sharp talons.
https://curioushistorian.com/the-most-powerful-aztec-god-had-the-hummingbird-as-his-spirit-animal
CentralMass
(15,265 posts)berniesandersmittens
(11,323 posts)FreepFryer
(7,077 posts)When you can fly, maintaining that ability is highly and widely advantageous - moreso than reducing flight ability in favor of a comparatively rarely employed weapon or other defense.
JHB
(37,132 posts)...would defeat the whole "live long enough to pass on your genes" thing. Weight = Harder to fly.
MineralMan
(146,192 posts)Crunchy Frog
(26,548 posts)Hugin
(32,778 posts)A mildly startled owl.
I have to agree. The author needs to have another peek at the facts.
DFW
(54,055 posts)Those damn baggage fees will kill you.