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The prevalence of drunk animals is significantly higher than previously believed, which contributes to the human fascination with alcohol. A new study has discovered that alcohol is significantly more prevalent in the natural world than previously thought, as well as animals that enjoy consuming it.
According to research published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution on Wednesday, the majority of fruit-eating and nectar-sipping animals likely imbibe ethanol, which is a type of alcohol that is produced from fruit and grain sugars and is present in nearly every environment.
Kimberley Hockings, a senior author and behavioral ecologist at the University of Exeter, stated in a statement that this revelation has caused researchers to abandon the human-centric perspective that “ethanol is simply a substance that humans make use of.”
Hockings observed that ethanol has a lengthy history. Tyrannosaurus rex was approximately 100 million years old when flower and fruit-bearing plants and vines first emerged in the late Cretaceous.
As fallen fruit matures, yeasts in the air and on the fruit’s surface convert sugar into ethanol, which is why the odor of rotting fruit may resemble that of beer or wine.
Scientists have discovered that certain decaying palm fruit in Panama exceeds 10 percent ABV, placing them in the same proximity as wine. However, these fruits typically do not reach a high-proof level, typically 1 to 2 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), which is between kombucha and “three-two” beers.
But for a bird or small mammal that is indulging in mildly alcoholic fruit, even a mere one to two percent can induce a potentially lethal buzz.
Matthew Carrigan, a professor of molecular ecology at the College of Central Florida, stated in a statement that it is not advisable to be inebriated while ascending in the trees or surrounded by predators at night, as this is a recipe for not passing on one’s genes.
Carrigan further stated that animals that consume ethanol, such as our own primate ancestors, which diverged from other mammals approximately 15 million years after the emergence of fruit-bearing plants, face the opposite issue as contemporary humans with respect to alcohol.
In contrast to “humans who desire to become intoxicated but do not truly desire the calories,” animals desire the calories but not the inebriation.
Animals that consume this fruit frequently possess genes that enable them to degrade ethanol without becoming intoxicated. This enables them to exploit the fruit’s distinctive extremely sweet aroma to locate it without the threat of a predator inflicting an EWI (Eaten While Intoxicated) penalty.
However, the hypothesis that animals avoid intoxication is not a well-founded conclusion; the researchers underscored that they are uncertain as to whether animals intentionally pursue intoxication. The increasing consensus that sentience and intelligence are more prevalent than previously believed is one of the most significant megatrends in ecology and biology of the past decade. Additionally, sentient communities may benefit from communal drinking: Anthropologists contend that the initial cities were either facilitated or caused by social imbibing among our species of primates.
The researchers noted that there may be boozy advantages for social animals such as birds and certain mammals that outweigh the consequences of getting intoxicated. This conjecture necessitates the first step of determining whether intoxication in animals resembles that in humans.
Researchers published photographs of primates, including chimpanzees, spider monkeys, and Capuchin monkeys, consuming intoxicating fruit in conjunction with the paper.
Anna Bowland, the first author and behavioral ecologist at the University of Exeter, stated in a statement that this could potentially provide benefits.
“From a cognitive perspective, there have been suggestions that ethanol can activate the endorphin and dopamine systems, resulting in feelings of relaxation that may have social advantages,” Bowland stated.
However, “in order to test that, it would be imperative to determine whether ethanol is eliciting a physiological response in the wild.”
In conclusion, the prevalence of drunk animals and their consumption of ethanol has shed light on a fascinating aspect of the natural world. The revelation that animals enjoy consuming alcohol has challenged the human-centric perspective on ethanol and its effects. This new understanding has led researchers to explore the potential benefits and consequences of animals consuming alcohol in the wild. As research advances in this area, we may gain a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between animals, alcohol, and their environments.
