Ask HN: Are there examples of animals that beat their children?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30821808

by kalu • 4 years ago

1 5 4 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I read this morning that “a sizable chunk of humanities children were beaten by their parents” in the 18th century. Sure. Seems believable at first. But also grotesque. And I can’t think of a single example of animals beating their children. Am I wrong in concluding that humans are unique in this regard ? What does it say about us ?

policipal• 4 years ago

Lions, Chickens, Hamsters, and polar bears are all known to eat their own offspring. You might say that qualifies. A wide variety of animals to long to list are quite rough with their offspring while being raised. It's the norm rather than the exception.

sidcool• 4 years ago

Yes. I have seen videos where a lion mother disciplined her cub when the cub tried to eat before the male lion.

In another video, a chimp or Gorilla father stared down an adolescent when he/she threw dirt on the father.

I think animals are much more brutal than just beating. Many do infanticide / cannibalism frequently.

ThrowawayR2• 4 years ago

A rather large number of animals kill and eat their young: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/140328-sl...

Seems unlikely to be fruitful to look to the animal kingdom as a benchmark for moral purity (and by human standards at that).

rmbyrro• 4 years ago

Maybe natural selection plays a role?

Animals that were too soft with their offspring failed to prepare them for a tough world and, thus, also failed to secure long term species survival.

giantg2• 4 years ago

"Seems believable at first. But also grotesque."

Depends on the severity, frequency, and reason. It might not be that grotesque. For example, I was spanked when I was bad. Does that fit the definition?

Ask HN: Are there examples of animals that beat their children?

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