this post was submitted on 02 May 2026
505 points (97.4% liked)
Science Memes
20083 readers
2238 users here now
Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!
A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.

Rules
- Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
- Keep it rooted (on topic).
- No spam.
- Infographics welcome, get schooled.
This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.
Research Committee
Other Mander Communities
Science and Research
Biology and Life Sciences
- !abiogenesis@mander.xyz
- !animal-behavior@mander.xyz
- !anthropology@mander.xyz
- !arachnology@mander.xyz
- !balconygardening@slrpnk.net
- !biodiversity@mander.xyz
- !biology@mander.xyz
- !biophysics@mander.xyz
- !botany@mander.xyz
- !ecology@mander.xyz
- !entomology@mander.xyz
- !fermentation@mander.xyz
- !herpetology@mander.xyz
- !houseplants@mander.xyz
- !medicine@mander.xyz
- !microscopy@mander.xyz
- !mycology@mander.xyz
- !nudibranchs@mander.xyz
- !nutrition@mander.xyz
- !palaeoecology@mander.xyz
- !palaeontology@mander.xyz
- !photosynthesis@mander.xyz
- !plantid@mander.xyz
- !plants@mander.xyz
- !reptiles and amphibians@mander.xyz
Physical Sciences
- !astronomy@mander.xyz
- !chemistry@mander.xyz
- !earthscience@mander.xyz
- !geography@mander.xyz
- !geospatial@mander.xyz
- !nuclear@mander.xyz
- !physics@mander.xyz
- !quantum-computing@mander.xyz
- !spectroscopy@mander.xyz
Humanities and Social Sciences
Practical and Applied Sciences
- !exercise-and sports-science@mander.xyz
- !gardening@mander.xyz
- !self sufficiency@mander.xyz
- !soilscience@slrpnk.net
- !terrariums@mander.xyz
- !timelapse@mander.xyz
Memes
Miscellaneous
founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Most predators are built for short bursts of speed so they can rush prey. Prey animals are a little slower but with better endurance so they can outlast that burst of speed. If a lion doesn't catch a gazelle right away, then it will realize it's hopeless and give up. The gazelle will also be alerted to the lion and will have demonstrated that it's healthy and fit, so the lion will just look for easier prey. That's the standard "meta."
Persistence hunting is a niche that kinda "breaks the meta" by not caring about speed at all. You expect the prey to "get away" multiple times. You can't really do this as a pure carnivore, but as an omnivore, you can gather food while in persuit (helps if you're nomadic anyway). You also need to be able to have other ways to protect yourself from predators, since you have no chance of outrunning them. Early technology (like spears and fire) make the approach more viable, and those are human-exclusive.
If you drop your whole build to try to counter what humans are doing, you're going to get eaten by a lion (if gazelle) or not catch anything (if lion). And persistence hunting gets fewer kills compared to pure carnivores so it's not really worth it.