We were discussing this issue again last night and were thinking about the raging
T-Rex controversy - was T-Rex a predator or a scavenger?  We'll never know for
sure, but some people go to great lengths to 'prove' that they were predators -
i.e. they are more noble creatures being predators, and have better box-office
billing.  Jurassic Park would not have been so thrilling for audiences if T-Rex
was poking through garbage dumps for tasty morsels!
I think most so-called predators and scavengers are opportunistic feeders anyway -
meat is meat, although some animals like most cats disdain old meat.
In George Schaller's famous book about lions, he showed that different prides have
different habits but that many lion prides got a good portion of their meat by
driving hyenas off their kills.  This shocks some people because after all lions
are noble animals and hyenas are scavengers - right???


Kay Lavalier wrote:

> Andrew Vik
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Dear Nora:
>
> I agree with you 100%. Scavengers do a very important job on this planet. They
> just aren't as exciting as predators are. But we must realize, most scavengers
> have evolved from predators, not the other way around. I do not believe in
> de-evolution, the idea that life forms can regress to a more primitive state.
> Therefore, scavengers could be thought of as an improved predators.
>
> Yours, Andrew
>
> NORA BRYAN wrote:
>
> > Andrew
> > Interesting choice of phrase -  "defaming".  It's odd how we tend to think
> > of scavengers as somehow less worthy of our admiration.  I guess it's a
> > natural reaction (maybe we picture ourselves eating roadkill and get a
> > little grossed out at the idea!).   Of course we know logically that
> > scavengers are an extremely important part of the natural cycle.  Sometimes
> > when I see a dead animal I feel sad, but then I feel better when I see the
> > various birds and animals making use of the carcass to feed themselves and
> > their young.  Death feeds life.
> >
> > Nora
> > Calgary, Alberta
> > CANADA
> >