Animal drunks

[erik simpson]

This is probably off-topic, but it may be a consequence of evolution, so
what the hell..

https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/fulltext/S0169-5347(24)00240-4

The evolutionary ecology of ethanol

Highlights
There is growing evidence that ethanol is encountered frequently enough
in the natural world to favour mechanisms enabling its use in multiple
animal lineages.
Since the Cretaceous period, fleshy fruits have provided a sugar-rich
resource for fermentative yeasts and natural ethanol production. As
such, the inclusion of ethanol in animal diets is likely just as ancient.
Moderate ethanol intake is associated with nutritional, medicinal, and
cognitive benefits, but many of these remain understudied for non‐human
species in natural contexts.
This challenges the current belief that modern humans are the only
vertebrate that regularly and uniquely consumes ethanol and leads us to
reconsider ethanol’s ecological role and evolutionary impact in nature.

Abstract
The consumption of ethanol has frequently been seen as largely
restricted to humans. Here, we take a broad eco-evolutionary approach to
understanding ethanol’s potential impact on the natural world. There is
growing evidence that ethanol is present in many wild fruits, saps, and
nectars and that ethanol ingestion offers benefits that favour
adaptations for its use in multiple taxa. Explanations for ethanol
consumption span both the nutritional and non-nutritional, with
potential medicinal value or cognitive effects (with social–behavioural
benefits) explored. We conclude that ethanol is ecologically relevant
and that it has shaped the evolution of many species and structured
symbiotic relationships among organisms, including plants, yeast,
bacteria, insects, and mammals.

[RonO]

Post by erik simpson
This is probably off-topic, but it may be a consequence of evolution, so
what the hell..
https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/fulltext/
S0169-5347(24)00240-4
The evolutionary ecology of ethanol
Highlights
There is growing evidence that ethanol is encountered frequently enough
in the natural world to favour mechanisms enabling its use in multiple
animal lineages.
Since the Cretaceous period, fleshy fruits have provided a sugar-rich
resource for fermentative yeasts and natural ethanol production. As
such, the inclusion of ethanol in animal diets is likely just as ancient.
Moderate ethanol intake is associated with nutritional, medicinal, and
cognitive benefits, but many of these remain understudied for non‐human
species in natural contexts.
This challenges the current belief that modern humans are the only
vertebrate that regularly and uniquely consumes ethanol and leads us to
reconsider ethanol’s ecological role and evolutionary impact in nature.
Abstract
The consumption of ethanol has frequently been seen as largely
restricted to humans. Here, we take a broad eco-evolutionary approach to
understanding ethanol’s potential impact on the natural world. There is
growing evidence that ethanol is present in many wild fruits, saps, and
nectars and that ethanol ingestion offers benefits that favour
adaptations for its use in multiple taxa. Explanations for ethanol
consumption span both the nutritional and non-nutritional, with
potential medicinal value or cognitive effects (with social–behavioural
benefits) explored. We conclude that ethanol is ecologically relevant
and that it has shaped the evolution of many species and structured
symbiotic relationships among organisms, including plants, yeast,
bacteria, insects, and mammals.

One year the University of Utah biology department ran a population
genetic selection experiment during an undergraduate genetics lab. They
used a population of flies segregating two alcohol dehydrogenase
variants that could be genotyped by electrophoresis enzyme typing. They
crossed two strains of Drosophila so they started with a 50:50 ratio of
alleles. They raised the flies for several generations on fly media
with added ethanol. At the end one allele was obviously taking over the
population and was selected for on the ethanol containing medium, but
the population raised on normal food was still running around 50:50.

Our simian ancestors were frugivores. When I took forestry as an
undergraduate we were told that bears routinely got sloshed on the
berries that they ate and may have enjoyed doing it.

Ron Okimoto

[Burkhard]

I grew up with "Animals Are Beautiful People" and therefore believed for
a long time that is common for animals as large as elephants would
regularly get sloshed. A huge disappointment to learn later that this
was probably all staged. Great to learn now there may be at least a
little bit of truth in it.