How does a tree (or any plant, really), know to evolve to produce a delicious fruit or a poison berry, a seed inside an impenetrable shell, or invent a type of flying machine, in order to reproduce? (Each of these examples exists in my backyard)

How do they receive feedback about their evolutionary experiments? How do they know it worked/failed. [10]

  • SanguinePar@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    ·
    8 months ago

    If, over a long time period, that tree’s particular characteristics lead to the species surviving, then it worked.

    If it doesn’t, then the species dies out.

    There’s no feedback, other than whether or not the species continues to exist.