Why do hot pepper plants exist? Wouldn’t it have been an evolutionary disadvantage to have fruits that were painful for animals to eat?
In: Biology
As others have said, spiciness in peppers evolved as an irritant to mammals because it was more beneficial for those plants to have their seeds carried by other animals like birds. Actually, a lot of plants that humans eat evolved traits like this to deter certain animals from eating them. Garlic is another example, it’s poisonous to cats and many other mammals.
To add onto that however, humans started eating and cultivating these plants specifically because of their pest-deterring qualities. If you make all your food super spicy/garlicy then wild animals will be less likely to steal it.
Latest Answers