The crazy thing about this is not just how evolution reverse-engineered what a snake looks like to a bird (or whatever preys on this moth), but also that some birds are born with an image burned into their brains labeled “avoid.” Snakes are such a problem to animals that may also prey on this moth, that a moth was able, over millions of years of evolution, to mimic that image through selective pressure. We’re not seeing here a moth mimicking a snake, we are seeing a moth’s wings resembling the image its prey holds in its brain of what it should identify as its own predator. An image that, itself, is held genetically and passed down from animal to animal, built by its own selective pressure. It’s amazing that this could produce such a clear image that’s immediately recognizable to us.
Or to boil it down:the ones who’s wings looked more like snakes had more babies cuz they’re weren’t dead.
The ones whos wings looked like what their predators think a snake looks like survived more often.
I’m not their predator and I think a snake looks like that too. I therefore think the image is pretty acurate.
Alas! Moths.
It’s apparently also got the size for it:
Evolution’s fucking badass!
The process that made these images is very similar to the ones used by genAI in some ways.
Moths are awesome, there’s no “Alas” about them!
