Anatomically, aren't herbivores more efficient than carnivores?

[Zeze]

Something got me wondering.

Herbivores eat nothing but grass, but they can be just as fast (if not faster) or strong. Look at gazelles that can outmaneuver a cheetah or elephants that are super strong.

I don't see them at a physical disadvantage for eating readily available greens. Then doesn't this make carnivores less advanced for always having to hunt?

I think if I had to guess, they have to spend a LOT of time eating just to keep up (vs carnivore's quick meals). Or their body cannot be as active or tire easily outside from running for their lives.

What do you think?

 

[lxskllr]

Carnivores keep herbivores in check. If there were only herbivores, you'd likely have more starvation incidents. It's all balanced, and I wouldn't consider one more efficient than the other.

 

[sdifox]

no... they have to eat shit ton of vegetable to get enough calories.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Efficient/advanced at what? I'm not seeing the logical connection between the statement made in the title and the support in the op.

 

[Zorander]

Carnivores cannot digest plant-based materials whereas herbivores can.

In this respect, herbivores are indeed more efficient than their carnivorous counterparts.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Carnivores can't digest plant-based materials whereas herbivores can.

Say wut?

 

[thebomb]

Perhaps.

Saying that herbivores are "more efficient" than carnivores is meaningless in the context of evolution. Both herbivores and carnivores evolved over millions of years to do two things in their own specific way: survive (and hopefully) reproduce. One type of animal does this by eating plants and vegetation, the other by eating meat.

 

[eldorado99]

Since when are elephants carnivores?

 

[Drako]

The sloth.

Efficient yes, functional? - look at a stoner, same thing. :awe:

omnivores FTW

 

[Zeze]

Carnivores cannot digest plant-based materials whereas herbivores can.

In this respect, herbivores are indeed more efficient than their carnivorous counterparts.

That's what I'm saying.

 

[Doppel]

Lions sleep all day eat for a bit and then go back to sleeping and can kick anyone's ass. The grazers have to eat all damn day.

 

[OverVolt]

In terms of biomass the planet has a large amount of plants, followed by primary consumers. The biomass of secondary consumers (eaters of plant eaters) is significantly smaller because every time the energy is converted some is lost to entropy.

Thats what your getting at and yes eating meat is less efficient.

 

[SlitheryDee]

In terms of the efficiency of their metabolisms, it probably averages out. Herbivores must reach a certain level of size and physical capability on a plentiful yet low calorie food, while a carnivore must maintain at least an equivalent level of size and physical capability on a high calorie, but less available food.

 

[Drako]

In terms of the efficiency of their metabolisms, it probably averages out. Herbivores must reach a certain level of size and physical capability on a plentiful yet low calorie food, while a carnivore must maintain at least an equivalent level of size and physical capability on a high calorie, but less available food.

Look at the Panda and Sloth for example.

Omnivores are where it's at!!

 

[alex333888]

from Yahoo

Why is it more energy efficient when a herbivore feeds on plants than when a carnivore feeds on animals?

Essentially all energy comes from the sun, the most efficient organisms on the planet are actually plants because they turn direct sunlight into usable energy. However plants do use some of the energy to maintain cellular functions, reproduce and other energy consuming tasks. This leaves less energy available to the next leave on the food chain, which would be herbivores. Out of the available energy from the plant the herbivores will also use a chunk to maintain their body functions. And so as your rise up the food chain which would be to carnivores next, there is less direct energy available because most of it has been used by the last organism.

 

[alcoholbob]

from Yahoo

Why is it more energy efficient when a herbivore feeds on plants than when a carnivore feeds on animals?

Essentially all energy comes from the sun, the most efficient organisms on the planet are actually plants because they turn direct sunlight into usable energy. However plants do use some of the energy to maintain cellular functions, reproduce and other energy consuming tasks. This leaves less energy available to the next leave on the food chain, which would be herbivores. Out of the available energy from the plant the herbivores will also use a chunk to maintain their body functions. And so as your rise up the food chain which would be to carnivores next, there is less direct energy available because most of it has been used by the last organism.

The majority of the biomass on Earth is under water doesn't rely on sunlight at all within its ecosystem, and most of that comes from vulcanic activity within the Earth.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Eating BRAAAIIINSSSS is the most efficient way to survive in a 4-year necro thread.

Sadly, free iPods have no nutritional value.

 

[Fayd]

Say wut?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkR2XEYEFgk

 

[glenn1]

I have a friend who is an herbivore (although she calls it "vegetarian") and she doesn't do shit so I dispute the OP premise of them being more efficient.

 

[brianmanahan]

necros are the most efficient of us all

 

[zinfamous]

All the herbivores I know have to eat constantly, and are instantly and irreconcilably cranky if they miss their scheduled feedings by more than a minute.


fuck that.

 

[Gibsons]

Lions sleep all day eat for a bit and then go back to sleeping and can kick anyone's ass. The grazers have to eat all damn day.

No, tigers beat lions.

Everyone knows this.

 

[Brian Stirling]

Lets see...

A herbivore needs to spend many hours every day just eating whereas a carnivore can attain all the food they need in a few minutes. Yes, a carnivore will, on average, spend more time that.

If humans were pure herbivores we would never have become the dominant species as we would have not been able to dedicate sufficient time to non-food purposes. Any advanced species with technology, including any and all ET's, will have evolved from beings that were either carnivore or omnivore.


Brian

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Lets see...

A herbivore needs to spend many hours every day just eating whereas a carnivore can attain all the food they need in a few minutes. Yes, a carnivore will, on average, spend more time that.

If humans were pure herbivores we would never have become the dominant species as we would have not been able to dedicate sufficient time to non-food purposes. Any advanced species with technology, including any and all ET's, will have evolved from beings that were either carnivore or omnivore.


Brian

Not necessarily, you're basing alien development on our ecology. Ours is not the only one possible or, the best.

 

[Brian Stirling]

Not necessarily, you're basing alien development on our ecology. Ours is not the only one possible or, the best.

Evolution is not exclusive to the Earth and the same forces will have applied elsewhere in the universe. Yeah, the exact nature of lifeforms elsewhere will likely be different but the mechanisms will be the same. There are 3 basic types of beings on the Earth and likely everywhere else: land based beings, water based beings, and airborne beings.

Airborne beings will be limited in technological development because it will be hard to impossible for them to develop much in the line of mechanical technology -- the first kind of technology, because of Newton's 3rd law.

Water based beings will find it almost as hard to develop mechanical technology but will be stopped at chemical technology.

An advanced being with technology will have to come for the land based types as only those will be able to make use of the 3rd law and not limited by chemical and electrical technology.

In order for a being to advance with technology it must first survive long enough and to do that it will need to make its way to apex predator. You can't develop technology and math and physics if you spend all day eating primary food stuffs. A predator benefits by eating concentrated food that can dramatically reduce the amount of time needed for food production leaving time to develop -- math, physics and technology!


Brian