Orcas attack and and kill grey whale and calf

[hammet]

Graphic and sad.
Liveleak.com - Gruesome Footage Captures Pod Of Orcas Killing Gray Whale And Calf

 

[tridacna]

Nature is metal. Not sad. Food.

 

[runsongas]

everybody's gotta eat

 

[caruso]

From what I read only the calf was targeted.

 

[doctormike]

Nature is metal. Not sad. Food.

Exactly.

Just as easy to spin it as "orca calf saved from death by starvation with successful hunt"

 

[Diver below 83]

Those were some serious impacts

 

[Caveeagle]

I find it interesting how in a world where anyone who dares to question Darwinian theories on evolution Is likely to be classed a hieratic.

But seemingly the same people are shocked when confronted with nature and survival of the fittest in action.

 

[doctormike]

I find it interesting how in a world where anyone who dares to question Darwinian theories on evolution Is likely to be classed a hieratic.

But seemingly the same people are shocked when confronted with nature and survival of the fittest in action.

Actually, predation isn't an example of survival of the fittest.

It's one strategy for feeding an organism and ensuring reproduction and passing on of that organisms genes. But it's hardly the only strategy and not necessarily the most successful. I guess it depends on how you measure evolutionary success, but in terms of individual animals, a food web supports fewer predators than prey.

Just because one predator can kill and eat one prey animal doesn't necessarily mean that this is the "better" or "fitter" species. The fossil record is full of carnivores that were survived by the descendants of their typical meals!

 

[Caveeagle]

Actually, predation isn't an example of survival of the fittest.

It's one strategy for feeding an organism and ensuring reproduction and passing on of that organisms genes. But it's hardly the only strategy and not necessarily the most successful. I guess it depends on how you measure evolutionary success, but in terms of individual animals, a food web supports fewer predators than prey.

Just because one predator can kill and eat one prey animal doesn't necessarily mean that this is the "better" or "fitter" species. The fossil record is full of carnivores that were survived by the descendants of their typical meals!

Well, that particular grey whale calf did not survive long enough to pass on its genes.

 

[doctormike]

Well, that particular grey whale calf did not survive long enough to pass on its genes.

Right. But evolution doesn't care about individuals, it cares about species. There are a lot more antelopes than lions on the Savannah. And, yes, any one that a lion eats may not reproduce. But there are still more antelopes, and if you gauge evolutionary success by numbers, it's a better strategy to have more individuals.

Now I don't know about the relative population strength of orcas and these whales. But I'm assuming that it's sort of a steady state, and whales aren't becoming extinct just because they can't fight off a determined predator.