Eli5 Why is the gestation period of each mammal different? Opposum only need 12-13 days but why do we get 9months?
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Funny thing…we need more than 9 months, but the human uterus cannot accommodate, so we birth this underbaked baby thing that cannot even hold its head up while deers are born running and whales swimming. Our head circumference and cervix (not cervical spine but exit chute gate) sort of came to an agreement of optimum time. Heck, we don’t even have functional lungs to breathe before 21 months. And we need a ‘parent.’ Some cats even with no ‘mom’ milk supply van survive to adulthood. A human baby exposed to nature alone has zero chance.
Also also…this ain’t even getting into placental, marsupial, or the friggin platypus, echidinae, or naked mole rat insanity of *mammal-ness*
Gestation is set by guides based on habitat and mechanical stuff as well as enviro-social developments (eg elephants, primates, whales raise the youth together versus certain mice where dad leaves to but some cigarettes and never comes back).
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