- #1
nautica
A couple of months ago someone left a kitten on the side of the road (it could not have been more than a week old, if that). Me being the push over that I am (even though I am not a cat lover) brought it home. On the way home I stopped by the pet store and got a litter box and the crap you put in it. I sat the litter box in the laundry room and filled it up while holding the cat. Went in the living room and the kids played with it for 30 minutes or so and fed it. After that the kitten ran into the laundry room, hopped into the litter box, pooped, covered it up, hopped out and ran back into the living room. Every since that time he has used the litter box. If we are outside playing with him, he will run inside to go to this litter box and use it.
We will all agree that this must be due to instinct. Not taught by me or his parents. The question is how can this instinct have evolved? How can this be passed down genetically. In my wildest imagination, I can see one of his parents or grandparents being taught and some how this being passed down. This has Lamarkian evolution written all over it. This trait must have been acquired and past down?
I know, I probably sound like an idiot here, but I thought I understood instinct in relation to evolution until I saw this.
Anybody have any thoughts, explanatin, and/or other examples? Surely, there is a simple rational explanation for this other than the passing of acquired characteristics, but what? There is no evolutionary advantage to this, although since man is the selector the cats, which do this would be selected. But, I just can not comprehend how this animal, which has never been around my laundry room, this litter box (or any other litter box), has probably never even been in a house before could instinctively do this. Like, I stated earlier, this cat was less than a week old, obviously had been left there for a couple of days (some neighbors had said they saw the cats there earlier) and I have heard of other cats doing this. So, what's is it?
Thanks
Nautica
We will all agree that this must be due to instinct. Not taught by me or his parents. The question is how can this instinct have evolved? How can this be passed down genetically. In my wildest imagination, I can see one of his parents or grandparents being taught and some how this being passed down. This has Lamarkian evolution written all over it. This trait must have been acquired and past down?
I know, I probably sound like an idiot here, but I thought I understood instinct in relation to evolution until I saw this.
Anybody have any thoughts, explanatin, and/or other examples? Surely, there is a simple rational explanation for this other than the passing of acquired characteristics, but what? There is no evolutionary advantage to this, although since man is the selector the cats, which do this would be selected. But, I just can not comprehend how this animal, which has never been around my laundry room, this litter box (or any other litter box), has probably never even been in a house before could instinctively do this. Like, I stated earlier, this cat was less than a week old, obviously had been left there for a couple of days (some neighbors had said they saw the cats there earlier) and I have heard of other cats doing this. So, what's is it?
Thanks
Nautica