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submitted 3 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz

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[-] smeg@feddit.uk 47 points 3 months ago

Isn't it one in every four different animals that are beetles? I'd imagine if you picked four random animals they'd mainly be nematodes. Or if it's by mass they'd be humans and cows!

[-] Car@lemmy.dbzer0.com 40 points 3 months ago

Pedantry is always important! I would argue that ants would be selected over humans by both mass and population

[-] smeg@feddit.uk 14 points 3 months ago

Ah, I was thinking of this xkcd but it's land mammals only!

[-] Car@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 3 months ago

I did some low-effort Googling and now I’m seeing that maybe some sea critters like krill have the highest non-bacteria biomass.

Either way, none of these are beetles!

[-] flora_explora@beehaw.org 6 points 3 months ago

But biomass shouldn't be relevant here, right? Individual numbers determine how many friends you might potentially have.

[-] Pilon23@feddit.dk 2 points 3 months ago

Keep arguing folks, i'm learning so much that i never knew i needed to learn. Quickly turning into my favourite community here <3

[-] flora_explora@beehaw.org 2 points 3 months ago

The takeaway message: to maximize your number of potential friends, focus on making invertebrate friends and don't bother with the few billion humans ;)

[-] bazus1@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

The world truly belongs to bacteria, and we're just along for the ride.

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago

I'm considering the hovertext and I consider the pounds of bacteria in me to be Me. How are we dividing this out?

[-] smeg@feddit.uk 3 points 3 months ago

You'll have to have a referendum, consulting each bacterium and asking if they identify as part of the collective known as "you" or as an independent organism

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

I am no anarcho-syndicalist commune a watery bint lobbed a scimitar at me

[-] AnUnusualRelic@lemmy.world 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Do the bacteria in you consider you to be one of them (so to speak), or are you just a cruise ship?

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

I do have a few swimming pools

[-] driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br 2 points 3 months ago

What about plankton? Aren't they animals?

[-] smeg@feddit.uk 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Marine plankton include bacteria, archaea, algae, protozoa, microscopic fungi, and drifting or floating animals that inhabit the saltwater of oceans and the brackish waters of estuaries

Apparently they're all sorts!