What pressures could drive evolution of a floating creature?
What environmental pressures could drive evolution of a creature that has the ability to float? How it floats isn't important.
This post was sourced from https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/q/22018. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
1 answer
The need for surprise attacks.
Most humans (and, in many cases, animals) don't think in three dimensions. All of the people we interact with are, in general, at the same elevation we're at, moving at the level as us. When you walk down the street, you don't often look straight up.
Something that floats has a tremendous advantage, because it can simply descend on someone or something. For example, if an animal lives on the surface of the ocean and floats using an air bladder, it can quickly descend on potential prey from above. They might not notice it coming, if it moves fast enough.
Floating is easier than flying or swimming, and takes less energy.
0 comment threads
0 comment threads