this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2023
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[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

It sounds like bullshit, but there are other cases of crocodiles displaying friendship / empathy, like this one: https://www.elitereaders.com/costa-rica-man-befriends-crocodile-after-saving-its-life/

Maybe they have a higher capacity than we give them credit for. They have been around for 200 million years, so plenty of time to develop some form of intelligence.

[–] Rodeo 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

They have been around for 200 million years, so plenty of time to develop some form of intelligence.

That's not how evolution works lol

Not to mention that what you're saying is they're living fossils, which literally means they haven't evolved in all that time.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Evolution works across millions of often-unconnected systems via random mutations, which then cause selection pressures. Think I understand it. Just because they've stayed the same on the outside doesn't mean they've stayed the same on the inside.

Also found some additional devils advocte-esque info on the friendly rescued croc; it had been shot in the head, so it's possible that a brain injury changed its personality.

[–] rbesfe 9 points 2 years ago (1 children)

This just means they weren't hungry. Dog got lucky.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Exactly

The journal explained that its analysis of the encounter was speculative, and acknowledged that the crocodiles' kindness may simply have been due their lack of an appetite.

[–] jerkface 2 points 2 years ago

So that's TWO things. Kind and not hungry. Not "just not hungry."