Fig Wasp
Many fig species depend on specialized wasps for pollination, though the life cycles differ.
The Biological Miracle: Many fig species are pollinated by specialized fig wasps that enter the fig's enclosed inflorescence. The wasp deposits eggs or pollen according to the species' life cycle and may die inside, while the plant's seeds develop.
The Philosophical Mirror: Cooperation in nature need not be gentle or equal. A relationship can sustain both lineages while involving costs to individual organisms.
The Human Takeaway: Mutual benefit does not mean every participant experiences the arrangement in the same way. How do I distinguish a system that persists from a system that is fair to the individuals within it?
Mutual benefit does not mean every participant experiences the arrangement in the same way.
How do I distinguish a system that persists from a system that is fair to the individuals within it?