Why did Guinea-Pigs evolve?

[The Super Pope]

Guinea Pigs are killed by pratically everything
They die if they fall a short distance
They die if they walk on wet ground because their stomachs drag on the floor, and the cold somehow kills them
They die if they don't eat for two days
They stick out like a dead nun in a snowbank
They have no means to fight off predators
They don't burrow

therefore, why did they evolve?

[Gary88]

guinea pigs are a product of selective breeding from rodents that lived in the andes, so its our fault not theirs

[The Super Pope]

But they existed in the wild there, right? They're called cavies in the wild I think

Love the sig BTW, I'd be happy to see £9.2 billion spent on that

[Gary88]

yes but cavies were much better adapted to the wild, guinea pigs were 'designed' to be extremely dosile etc which made them shite at running away from predators

[Tominokar]

yes but cavies were much better adapted to the wild, guinea pigs were 'designed' to be extremely dosile etc which made them shite at running away from predators

Yep, all domestic animals would die off if humans disappeared, perhaps very few surviving that most closely resembled their wild descendents.

BTW, the quote in your sig is probably the funniest thing that's ever been said in that usually unfunny program. Have I got news for you is much better

[NaptownKnight]

They didn't evolve, God made them.

Commence religious vs. atheist flame war!

[mightyfenrir]

They didn't evolve, God made them.

Commence religious vs. atheist flame war!

but... but... god cannot be held responsible for creatures selectively bred by humans... unless god breeds guinea pigs, in which case I will buy one

[LSJ]

Natural selection does not pick the animals best able to survive in the world, but rather those that do survive. That includes useless badly designed animals, so long as they somehow manage to prevent themselves from going extinct. That may be due to predators dying off or the species finding somewhere safe.

Humans are horribly designed for the wild. We have no natural defense against anything. We are outrun by predators, have no weapons, have predators that can swim for us, climb to us... The only reason a species so awfully designed as humanity could survive is that we had the brains. We made weapons, clothes, and tools for what we lacked naturally.
We're there with the guinea pigs, the only difference being why we survived. Brains is superior to finding a safe habitat, but we are still in the group.

[Gary88]

is that a serious point or a joke, i cannot tell

[NaptownKnight]

is that a serious point or a joke, i cannot tell

Half and half.

[Hookah Smoking Caterpiller]

so the Inca could have a tasty tea-time treat.

Incedently Darkprophet has the most british avatar ever

[Simetrical]

The fragility of individuals is not necessarily relevant to whether a species beats out its competitors. Consider insects, which are individually very fragile from the perspective of large mammals like us, but are among the most numerous creatures on the planet. Or single-celled organisms, still more numerous.

Wild guinea pigs were not, in any case, remarkably fragile at all, any more than any small mammal. That those bred to household living, specifically, seem to die at the drop of a hat from the perspective of long-lived humans, is not really relevant to their original existence in the wild. They just seem fragile to us compared to the larger animals we're a bit more familiar with as pets, like cats and dogs, which are considerably more resilient.

[Locky]

My Gueniea pig is 6 years old and doing well. He is yet to die. He lives with a younger rabbit, she keeps treading on him though, by mistake.

Humans are horribly designed for the wild. We have no natural defense against anything. We are outrun by predators, have no weapons, have predators that can swim for us, climb to us... The only reason a species so awfully designed as humanity could survive is that we had the brains. We made weapons, clothes, and tools for what we lacked naturally.
We're there with the guinea pigs, the only difference being why we survived. Brains is superior to finding a safe habitat, but we are still in the group.

Humans are still better suited to living in a cave, physically. Modern Mentality dictates otherwise. Why do you think we get so fat easily? Becuase thousands of years ago, food was scarse, so whenever we found extra, our body is designed to store it, for when it could be needed. Now food is so easy to get in a devoloped country, that we can stuff ourselves, purely because we can, defeating the purpose of our adaption, whihc is more of a case of evolution not keeping up with homo sapiens.

[mightyfenrir]

My Gueniea pig is 6 years old and doing well. He is yet to die. He lives with a younger rabbit, she keeps treading on him though, by mistake.

I hope you get some rabpigs or guineabits out of that strange alternative lifestyle... regardless, if any of them have rabbit ears and a guinea pig face I'll buy one from you.

[The Super Pope]

I hope you get some rabpigs or guineabits out of that strange alternative lifestyle... regardless, if any of them have rabbit ears and a guinea pig face I'll buy one from you.

But for the hideous results of cross-breeds, look below

[Hookah Smoking Caterpiller]

is that an insult to the next poster?

[The Super Pope]

I meant the Badgpie, but Modern life Is rubbish is hideous to behold. He is illegal in 14 countries

[mightyfenrir]

I meant the Badgpie, but Modern life Is rubbish is hideous to behold. He is illegal in 14 countries

I'd own one... and sic it on others.

[Hookah Smoking Caterpiller]

I meant the Badgpie, but Modern life Is rubbish is hideous to behold. He is illegal in 14 countries

yeah but there all crap countries like singapore and Tajikistan

[Zodiac]

yeah but there all crap countries like singapore and Tajikistan

I've been to Singapore. It's not that Bad.....forget I was ever here.