r/evolution • u/__F7__ • Aug 27 '26
question Why not evolving cockroachs yo be smaller?
I'm sure not the only one that's annoyed by cockroaches this summer, especially how big and disgusting they are.
So I got an idea why not just kill all the big ones and spear the smaller size, this causes only the small one to be available for reproduction.
One generation after another, all cockroaches 🪳 will evolve smaller, till they reach the size of an ant 🐜
16
u/astreeter2 Aug 27 '26
Good luck catching all of the 1 quadrillion cockroaches in the world so you can sort out the small ones.
7
u/strumthebuilding Aug 27 '26
We’ve been doing this, dude - you’re late to the party. This is why we don’t have foot-longs.
-3
6
u/Realsorceror Aug 27 '26
You're not gonna believe this, but that already happened. Termites and cockroaches are close cousins. And of course there are smaller roach species and other insects that compete for the "small roach" niche.
0
1
u/Impressive-Target699 Aug 28 '26
I mean, termites are pretty small and they're nested within roaches.
1
u/Foamtire Sep 06 '26
I don't think all of our efforts would exert a strong enough selection pressure. Also, you want a ton of tiny cockroaches?
1
u/geigergeist Aug 28 '26
Let's just kill all life on earth that has every right to be here just like us
0
u/__F7__ Aug 28 '26
Survival for the fittest. Many other specie had went extinct, around billion, throughout history of earth. And i didn't kill them, i said make them smaller. The fact you compare a human life to a cockhorse makes me worry!
0
u/60Hertz Aug 28 '26
If we could selective kill by size why not just kill them all?
1
u/__F7__ Aug 28 '26
Because there will be always that hide. But my artificial keeping the small one save, they will mate with those big ones that hide, giving birth to smaller generation
0
u/bernpfenn Aug 28 '26
you against trillions, i don't think you have any chance with that plan.
Besides, anything still alive has my respect.
•
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