Just thinking about how I’ve read that humans are the only animals on the planet that can throw objects with a degree of accuracy. But could a dog or other animal be taught, and trained to throw things to hit a target? I mean, it’s not like a human can throw well without guidance and practice, either.

  • j4k3@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    1 month ago

    Sure, just devise a plan where throwing better results in statistical sexual advantages and wait 50k years. Problem is, by that time, the universe will be a monoculture of Arch Linux users.

    • neidu2@feddit.nl
      1·
      1 month ago

      I don’t remember where (sweden, I think?), but there was this zoo with a chimp who was infamous for throwing rocks at guests that annoyed him. He was also observed collecting a small pile of rocks in the morning that he could use as ammo. So not only was he a decent thrower, but he was also making physical preparation to a negative emotion that he was expecting to feel later in the day - a trait previously not associated with animals.

  • snooggums@midwest.socialEnglish
    1·
    1 month ago

    Most animals don’t have the right bone structure and muscles to throw. A dog for example doesn’t have the range of motion to throw a ball with their forelimbs.

    Apes, monkeys, and other aboreal creatures can fling or throw things with some level of accuracy, but not nearly as well as humans.

    • ceiphas@lemmy.world
      1·
      1 month ago

      I was at a zoo at a guided feeding of chimpanzees. The wuide showed us by example, that the apes were way better at aiming than him, and If you give them a food they don’t like, you should wear a helmet, AS they Hit your face with a cabbage from 30m away.

  • JayleneSlide@lemmy.world
    0·
    1 month ago

    Ever see a toucan in person? I had an employee with a toucan he would sometimes bring into work. It could throw things, especially round fruit, with uncanny accuracy. Like it could easily play catch from at least 2m away.

    Glaucous-winged gulls also seem to have uncanny accuracy with defecation, but that’s not quite throwing.