answersLogoWhite

0

Both sharing and the refusal to share serve evolutionary purposes in various environments, so animals are known to do both. Some social animals share because sharing is necessary in order for a pack to stay cohesive. Both finding food and avoiding danger are done much more efficiently in a pack of animals, so it is important for social animals to maintain pack stability by sharing. However, more solitary animals share less because when one shares, he has less for himself. It is necessary for all animals to eat, and most wild animals need to eat as much as possible as frequently as possible to keep from starving. The balance between the need for sharing and the need for the refusal of sharing is at different levels among different animals. Typically, more primitive animals have little purposeful contact with others of the same species, and do almost no sharing. Mammals and birds typically have more contact with others of their own species, and share more. In some more solitary species, such as shrews, this is restricted to mothers giving food (milk) to the young. The siblings usually fight over milk and food, and adults usually fight each other over food and mates. In some more social species, such as wolves, sharing is strictly organized and well-kept. However, even in social species, there is some squabbling over resources, particularly between siblings (as in humans). Some animals, like humans and dogs, have been known to share with other species as well as with their own.

User Avatar

Wiki User

15y ago

What else can I help you with?