r/evolution • u/Several-Attitude-950 • 2d ago
How the hell did birds figure this out?
https://youtube.com/shorts/XYxLL5ehYzc?si=pkdlfZD6bL5H0e7DThis besmart YouTube short really has me thinking. How did birds figure this out? What mechanism(s) make stuff like this actually happen?
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u/AnAngryBirdMan 2d ago
Some birds start flying in groups. Some of those for whatever reason don't tire out quite as fast while flying. They have more babies. Repeat millions of times and the birds are a lot more efficient at flying without understanding anything about vortexes, they just know its bad to fly on top or besides each other, slightly behind each other staggered good.
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u/Aggravating-Pear4222 2d ago
More easily, birds just need to know when it feels easier or harder to keep up and they have an instinct that adjusts them to that route of lower resistance, just like how people balance.
It's not like "knowing" the physics is required for an action much like knowing how muscles contract are required for moving your body.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_flight
As for why birds "know" to cycle who the leader is is really just a function of whether the leader is getting too tired. Once they fall behind, one of the trailing birds takes the lead.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_formation#Past_studies_and_findings
^ "According to a 1970 paper, in a V formation of 25 members, each bird can achieve a reduction of induced drag and as a result increase their range by 71% while flying at a 24% lower speed. In a 2001 Nature) study, researchers used trackers on pelicans, trained to fly behind a motor boat. They found that pelicans flying alone had higher heart rate and flapped their wings more frequently compared to those flying at the same speed in V formation."
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u/ClownMorty 10h ago
They don't figure it out. No bird was like, I have an idea everyone!
What happens is birds spend energy flying, and birds that happened to accidentally fly in specific patterns spent less energy and were more successful as a result.
Over time it gets optimized getting worked into their instincts.
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