assuming that mankind still will be feasting on pigs, cows and chickens many millions of years from now, what mechanism do you foresee these animals evolving that will protect them from extinction, or has the evolutionary process pretty much stopped?
2007-09-12 23:53:53 · 7 answers · asked by Wayne G 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
I'm not sure that the problem of extinction will face these animals, because they are domesticated and deliberately bred on a large scale.
It's ironic that althought we kill them for food, we are not a 'threat' to the survival of these species, but actually help to promote their survival.
2007-09-13 00:39:18 · answer #1 · answered by bonshui 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
They may evolve a bit, but they are not going to escape our mouths at any point. In fact, we are the reason that those are the only 3 species which each have an overall planetary biomass greater than humans (besides the wierdos like ants and worms). Evolution for these animals is not happening as a natural function...its happening in the way that humans direct it (ie - good changes in, bad changes out). Until we stop needing McChickens, Big Macs, and Egg McMuffins, those species and several more will only evolve in lockstep with what humans demand.
2007-09-13 01:07:48 · answer #2 · answered by iandanielx 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There is no evolutionary process for them, that is not controlled by man. Domestic animals are controlled by the desires, and whims of humans. It's not that evolution has stopped for them...only that humans would destroy an animal with a mutation that made it un-benificial to keep it domesticated.
It is a trade off for the domestic animals. Humans keep them safe, sheltered and fed. In return they give us meat, fiber, milk, and muscle (think draft horse).
Did you know that out of all the millions of types of animals in the world, there are only 12 of the large animals which are suited to be domestic animals? The rest will remain wild animals.
~Garnet
Homesteading/Farming over 20 years
2007-09-13 03:44:38 · answer #3 · answered by Bohemian_Garnet_Permaculturalist 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, evolution rolls on.
For instance, last week I didn't have that nasty wart on my..........anyway, evolution is a dynamic process and nature is always dropping bad processes and designs, mixing and matching, improving and discarding species over millions of years.
In another few million years, it will probably be politically incorrect to try to eat a cow, as it may sue you, and the pigs are carrying, so....... best not go there.
Danny.
.
2007-09-13 00:06:07 · answer #4 · answered by Danny Dix 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why do they have to change? The fact that they are good for us to eat is, ironically, helping keep their species alive, because we go out of our way to raise them, and help them to multiply.
The species that are on the verge of extinction are the wild ones that we normally do not eat. We kill them off either as pests, or by destroying their habitat, because they are no good to us.
2007-09-13 00:06:36 · answer #5 · answered by Randy G 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Evolution is probably still continuing, but moving slower than before. I think the only way for those animals to survive would be us mating them for our own purposes.
2007-09-13 00:00:39 · answer #6 · answered by E M M A 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are not evolving because now we are selectively breeding them. Or you could say that they are evolving to become more useful to humans, which means we help them to multiply.
2007-09-13 03:34:36 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋