Discussion
zetec said:
MitchT said:
Comatose through drink on the floor next to the toilet. Reminds me of my younger days! 
That was my first thought when i saw the picture on the news 
I caught one with it's head in my bike pannier when I was camping in Missouri. Interesting spot - a bar/campsite beside the Missouri River.
I was sharing a table with two white and one black locals the previous evening when I was treated to an explanation from the white female of how the world was due to end soon. The cause? The mixing of the races.
As she was coming out with this the black guy rolled his eyes but did't say anything. I changed the subject. Not getting into an argument in a place people carry guns.
My stolen banana.
I was sharing a table with two white and one black locals the previous evening when I was treated to an explanation from the white female of how the world was due to end soon. The cause? The mixing of the races.
As she was coming out with this the black guy rolled his eyes but did't say anything. I changed the subject. Not getting into an argument in a place people carry guns.
My stolen banana.
Key Adaptations and Evolutionary Changes
The primary driver of these changes is natural selection in an urban environment. Raccoons that are bolder, less aggressive, and more tolerant of human presence have a survival advantage because they can more easily access human-provided food (garbage, pet food, etc.).
Shorter Snouts: A recent study, published in Frontiers in Zoology, found that urban raccoons have snouts about 3.5% shorter than their rural counterparts. Shorter snouts are a common physical trait in domesticated animals (e.g., dogs compared to wolves).
Behavioral Shifts: City raccoons exhibit reduced fear responses toward humans, increased social tolerance, and improved problem-solving abilities (e.g., figuring out complex anti-raccoon trash can locks).
Physical Traits of Domestication Syndrome:
The shortening of the snout is part of a suite of traits known as "domestication syndrome," which in other species also includes things like floppy ears, changes in coat color, smaller brains, and less aggressive behavior.
These traits are thought to be linked by shared developmental pathways in the embryo.
The primary driver of these changes is natural selection in an urban environment. Raccoons that are bolder, less aggressive, and more tolerant of human presence have a survival advantage because they can more easily access human-provided food (garbage, pet food, etc.).
Shorter Snouts: A recent study, published in Frontiers in Zoology, found that urban raccoons have snouts about 3.5% shorter than their rural counterparts. Shorter snouts are a common physical trait in domesticated animals (e.g., dogs compared to wolves).
Behavioral Shifts: City raccoons exhibit reduced fear responses toward humans, increased social tolerance, and improved problem-solving abilities (e.g., figuring out complex anti-raccoon trash can locks).
Physical Traits of Domestication Syndrome:
The shortening of the snout is part of a suite of traits known as "domestication syndrome," which in other species also includes things like floppy ears, changes in coat color, smaller brains, and less aggressive behavior.
These traits are thought to be linked by shared developmental pathways in the embryo.
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