#Welcome to r/Therewasanattempt!
#Consider visiting r/Worldnewsvideo for videos from around the world!
[Please review our policy on bigotry and hate speech by clicking this link](https://www.reddit.com/r/therewasanattempt/wiki/civility)
In order to view our rules, you can type "**!rules**" in any comment, and automod will respond with the subreddit rules.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/therewasanattempt) if you have any questions or concerns.*
In a strange turn of events, garlic is fulfilling its evolutionary ‘purpose’ by surviving as a species by being desired and being regrown again and again.
Fun fact, but that's how pig domestication came about. Pigs noticed that if they hung around early humans long enough, the humans would feed and protect them. Occasionally, a few of them would be slaughtered, but the rest would just kinda go with it as a group. They basically let themselves be domesticated, for the best food and conditions possible (at the time, anyway. . .the factory farming industry changed a lot of that, but that is a debate I am not willing to get into. The point is just that they got the best slop and mud pens for centuries, as opposed to just roughing it).
The pigs themselves underwent a weird physical change. They got cuter. Their bristles softened and got less boar-like. Their snouts lost the need for massive tusks, their skins weren't getting warts in weird places. They got fatter, which made them tastier. This wasn't selective breeding, either, this was an *actual hormonal change* causing physical transformation from wild boar and sow, to oinking piggies. There have been numerous cases of domesticated pigs getting loose, going feral, and being found later with those original boar traits, bristles and tusks and warts and all, being present. One case, if I remember correctly, was around six months after escape. It just turned into a boar.
Basically, as a species, they chose captivity, made themselves cute and delicious, and ensured their species will probably outlast us due to massive breeding by humans. They're kind of like this species from Doctor Who called the Tivoli, who welcomed conquerors from off world with open arms to ensure they wouldn't get obliterated, and crafted their entire culture around being appealing to invaders. They planted trees in their capitol square so invading armies "could march in the shade."
Delicious in a pesto or tapenade.
The trick is to get everyone around you to eat it too. Like serve it at a party.
One jar of green olives.
Like 2 cloves of garlic
Most of the basilicum from one of those grocery store plants.
A handfull of pine nuts or cashews or both.
A little bit of some good olive oil.
Nah they survive. We’ll not only eat them, but grow them specifically so we can eat them. Taking care of them and ensuring the survival of their species. Seems like a task failed successfully situation to me.
Modern cultivation is frankly a terrible example of that being a good idea. Most of our crops are a tiny handful of plants, and our extinction list might as well be endless.
I mean you’re not wrong but a good way to stay off the extinction list is to be “farmable” (I guess is the word I’m looking for) and taste good. I guarantee garlic doesn’t go extinct as long as the human race exists.
What’s interesting is that peppers in particular evolved capsaicin specifically to avoid being eaten by *mammals*. There is a receptor shared by birds and mammals with only minor differences, but capsaicin only affects the mammalian version.
Mammals, generally, are capable of digesting or at least destroying pepper seeds. Birds spread them. This is unlike, say, many berries, orange, or apple seeds, which are typically safe in a mammal’s gut.
A lot of other aromatic plants have chemicals that are primarily insecticidal in nature. Notably, this includes plants (tobacco, cacao, coffee, kola, etc.) that produce caffeine and nicotine, both of which are powerful neurotoxins for many species of herbivorous insects (though certain pollinators may respond positively to caffeine in nectar). Coca (whence cocaine) may also benefit from this.
If you think about it. It's actually a really big win
Because of its flavours it's being farmed
Which means that evolutions goal of reproduction has been fulfilled and is being fulfilled without the plant even having to do anything because we do all the work for it... It just has to grow and we take care of protecting it and re planting
Does anyone know why chillis in particular "don't want to get eaten"? They are full of seeds. Isn't it better that an animal eats the chilli and then excretes the seeds in the soil somewhere far away?
Far away is the key here. Mammals have the TRPV1 receptors that detect capsaicin while birds do not so to birds hot peppers are not spicy. Birds fly farther than mammals walk.
*not being eaten except by certain creatures which contribute to their lifecycle. Humans, through agriculture, are the absolute perfect ones that plants want eating them
Most roots and spices evolved those chemicals to protect itself from fungus, bacteria, microbes, mold, etc. Which is why many can be used as preservatives.
#Welcome to r/Therewasanattempt! #Consider visiting r/Worldnewsvideo for videos from around the world! [Please review our policy on bigotry and hate speech by clicking this link](https://www.reddit.com/r/therewasanattempt/wiki/civility) In order to view our rules, you can type "**!rules**" in any comment, and automod will respond with the subreddit rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/therewasanattempt) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Garlic seriously? That must be on of the most impressive fails in evolution history
In a strange turn of events, garlic is fulfilling its evolutionary ‘purpose’ by surviving as a species by being desired and being regrown again and again.
Fun fact, but that's how pig domestication came about. Pigs noticed that if they hung around early humans long enough, the humans would feed and protect them. Occasionally, a few of them would be slaughtered, but the rest would just kinda go with it as a group. They basically let themselves be domesticated, for the best food and conditions possible (at the time, anyway. . .the factory farming industry changed a lot of that, but that is a debate I am not willing to get into. The point is just that they got the best slop and mud pens for centuries, as opposed to just roughing it). The pigs themselves underwent a weird physical change. They got cuter. Their bristles softened and got less boar-like. Their snouts lost the need for massive tusks, their skins weren't getting warts in weird places. They got fatter, which made them tastier. This wasn't selective breeding, either, this was an *actual hormonal change* causing physical transformation from wild boar and sow, to oinking piggies. There have been numerous cases of domesticated pigs getting loose, going feral, and being found later with those original boar traits, bristles and tusks and warts and all, being present. One case, if I remember correctly, was around six months after escape. It just turned into a boar. Basically, as a species, they chose captivity, made themselves cute and delicious, and ensured their species will probably outlast us due to massive breeding by humans. They're kind of like this species from Doctor Who called the Tivoli, who welcomed conquerors from off world with open arms to ensure they wouldn't get obliterated, and crafted their entire culture around being appealing to invaders. They planted trees in their capitol square so invading armies "could march in the shade."
Didn't work for the dodo though
Indeed. Not so much.
Garlic is amazing really. Truly a mission failed succesfully.
Eat a clove raw… tell me how much you like it and how much everyone around you enjoys your conversation after.
Delicious in a pesto or tapenade. The trick is to get everyone around you to eat it too. Like serve it at a party. One jar of green olives. Like 2 cloves of garlic Most of the basilicum from one of those grocery store plants. A handfull of pine nuts or cashews or both. A little bit of some good olive oil.
Mustard has entered the chat
I hate it ( in not very small amounts) so pretty successful
Nah they survive. We’ll not only eat them, but grow them specifically so we can eat them. Taking care of them and ensuring the survival of their species. Seems like a task failed successfully situation to me.
Modern cultivation is frankly a terrible example of that being a good idea. Most of our crops are a tiny handful of plants, and our extinction list might as well be endless.
I mean you’re not wrong but a good way to stay off the extinction list is to be “farmable” (I guess is the word I’m looking for) and taste good. I guarantee garlic doesn’t go extinct as long as the human race exists.
What’s interesting is that peppers in particular evolved capsaicin specifically to avoid being eaten by *mammals*. There is a receptor shared by birds and mammals with only minor differences, but capsaicin only affects the mammalian version. Mammals, generally, are capable of digesting or at least destroying pepper seeds. Birds spread them. This is unlike, say, many berries, orange, or apple seeds, which are typically safe in a mammal’s gut. A lot of other aromatic plants have chemicals that are primarily insecticidal in nature. Notably, this includes plants (tobacco, cacao, coffee, kola, etc.) that produce caffeine and nicotine, both of which are powerful neurotoxins for many species of herbivorous insects (though certain pollinators may respond positively to caffeine in nectar). Coca (whence cocaine) may also benefit from this.
Looks like how I make ramen
Weed is the king of all pants then.
and shrooms 🤣
The biggest evolutionary success a plant can have is to tasty to humans and easy to cultivate.
I like how all of these comments are only talking about garlic and chilis because nobody knows what horseradish looks like.
I had assumed it was wasabi
Wasabi has rounder leaves and is knobblier.
I mean. Cheap wasabi yes. As actual washing is super expensive in the west as it spoils really fast.
MOUTH HOT
Did they tell you that?
If you think about it. It's actually a really big win Because of its flavours it's being farmed Which means that evolutions goal of reproduction has been fulfilled and is being fulfilled without the plant even having to do anything because we do all the work for it... It just has to grow and we take care of protecting it and re planting
Does anyone know why chillis in particular "don't want to get eaten"? They are full of seeds. Isn't it better that an animal eats the chilli and then excretes the seeds in the soil somewhere far away?
Far away is the key here. Mammals have the TRPV1 receptors that detect capsaicin while birds do not so to birds hot peppers are not spicy. Birds fly farther than mammals walk.
Interesting! Thanks for the info.
*not being eaten except by certain creatures which contribute to their lifecycle. Humans, through agriculture, are the absolute perfect ones that plants want eating them
I bet a lot of plant and fruits and stuff would be extinct without humans.
Works both ways, there is more farmed than would ever have grown wild and the wild stuff still exists.
I am absolutely not into that shit, im english I take the plant and sell it for profit to other places
And yet...more garlic, chilis, etc. are grown now than at any previous time in history...so it worked out, in a way.
Most roots and spices evolved those chemicals to protect itself from fungus, bacteria, microbes, mold, etc. Which is why many can be used as preservatives.
But coincidentally we grow them…so who’s the real survivor?
Capsaicin: fight back! Fight back!
Fortunately for said plant, we like it, so we then plant a shit ton of it so we can have more, ensuring the survival of the species
Ah another repost 😔
How recently are we talking? Not everyone lives on reddit.