how do animals recognize their own species? Is there some internal mechanism that allows them to recognize their own?
In: Biology
They probably don’t recognize them as similar to themselves, but similar to those they grew up with.
If an antelope grows up surrounded by other antelopes, it will consider itself an antelope, and thus recognize every other antelope as similar to itself.
Animals – just as humans – can also use their senses. They can see other animals and see, if they’re familiar. They can hear and recognize the sounds like humans can hear other humans and know that’s a person speaking. They also recognize similar smells. Even touching will give them some familiar feelings.
Yes! Evolution builds those systems into species. Humans are built to recognize faces. We’re amazing at it. We can see two dots and a line as a face. The same mechanisms exist for other species. Dogs, and many other mammals, use scent. Birds, like us, are very visual. They can recognize the appearance of their own species just as you can. They also use their songs. Many insects use pheromones (very specific scent chemicals). Frogs croak.
Nature has shaped hippos to be very good at recognizing hippos, and damselflies at recognizing damselflies, and penguins other penguins. Animals HAVE to be able to recognize their own, or they’d suck at making babies.
That’s natural selection at work! If you can’t find a mate, you don’t make babies. If you’re good at finding a mate, you make lots of babies, and they’ll be good at finding a mate too.
This is one that bugs me. How do animals like birds know who’s a predator and who’s not? Crows and gulls hang out all the time. Never seen a Hawk hang with either of them or any other birds.
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