this post was submitted on 13 Feb 2025
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submitted 5 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16221078/

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-close-in-on-why-octopuses-tragically-destroy-themselves-after-mating

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[–] [email protected] 133 points 5 days ago (59 children)

According to the article the females don't fare any better either.

I didn't know this about octopi, what's the point, evolutionarily, to self destruct after reproducing?

[–] cm0002 135 points 5 days ago (19 children)

what's the point, evolutionarily, to self destruct after reproducing?

There is no point, evolution is about successful reproduction and everything else is just random chance.

If a evolutionary tweak happens that gives your off spring better chances, but your arms fall off after sex then it'll probably perpetuate.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 4 days ago (7 children)

No that's absolutely not true, every part of evolution happens for a reason and those we don't know, we research until we find out why

[–] JayDee 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I think the point the other guy is pointing out, is that good and bad evolutionary traits are often connected - or more helpfully stated, evolutionary traits can have both benefits and drawbacks which don't immediately seem related to the same trait.

It's quite possible that octopi sex dementia is just a drawback to another trait which is very beneficial, so the dementia was just a bad aspect of a good trait that propagated forward. This happens all the time in different animal biologies.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 days ago (2 children)

No, that's what I am saying. They are saying that it's a random effect.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Everything about biology is a random effect. Even a mutation that's selected for wasn't planned; it just happened by chance. Like if you're an aquatic species maybe you'll end up being a strong swimmer over generations, but the water doesn't pressure you towards that on its own. You have to coincidentally develop flukes that make you a stronger swimmer before those traits can be selected for.

Sometimes traits that get passed down aren't beneficial at all because they don't make an impact on reproduction. Think of an animal that comes in many colors like a house cat or certain fish species. In such cases it's clear that the color of the animal doesn't have any bearing on its ability to reproduce, so a variety of colors are passed down for no particular reason.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 12 hours ago

No, what we call random is when it's unpredictable. The more unpredictable, the better "quality" of the random. Any generative process, and huge amounts of systems you use every day use random but systems emerge from the chaos. And no. Traits that aren't beneficial are extremely rare and we think it's because we are missing why it was useful.

[–] JayDee 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

That is not how your comment reads. It reads like you think every trait exists as an advantage and propagates because it is a benefit. Plenty of traits propagate as side effects, which is how their comment read to me.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Not really, and I think it's because any unnecessary trait is an extra cost. But you can have your belief or even think we were magiced by an all powerful entity

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 hours ago

unnecessary traits might not always lead to extra cost, and even then, the extra cost might not always lead to extinction.

the extinction usually happens when a trait that represents a disadvantage in a sufficiently heavy competition for survival. If the competition is low enough, the trait may survive.

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