Human babies develop so slowly compared to other species.. why? A baby giraffe practically gallops out of the womb but a human baby can’t hold its head up.. what aspects decipher the speed at which a newborn develops?
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> A baby giraffe practically gallops out of the womb
Meanwhile, kittens are born with their eyes closed — they’re also pretty useless.
Basically, prey animals (such as horses and giraffes) usually come out fully formed, as there might be a predator around.
While predator animals (such as cats) can afford to come out underdeveloped, since it’s less likely that someone is actively looking for them.
Though that’s not the only factor — another is whether the animal tends to have hidden burrows or not. For example, hares (which live out on the open) have young that can walk when they’re born, while the related rabbits (which live in burrows away from predators) are born helpless.
For humans, the second factor may be more important — we’re predators more than prey, but we’re also social animals where people can take care of newborns in a place where there is little danger from roaming predators.
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