How come baby animals are so cute?

[Tulune]

This thread needs more cute in it.

[Semune]

They're cute because they have a threat level of 0.

Plain and simple, you won't find anything cute if they pose any immediate threat to you.

All of these other theories have no scientific backing.

It's basic human psychology.

[Nemah]

I think we are getting away from the topic here. I'm pretty sure animals don't go around eating little baby animals.

Male lions eat lion cubs all the time. Male lion cubs in particular iirc.

[Lord Havik]

They're cute because they have a threat level of 0.

Plain and simple, you won't find anything cute if they pose any immediate threat to you.

It's basic human psychology.

I disagree.





Even if something were to be incredibly detrimental to our health were we to try and hug its face, that does not necessarily detract from its cuteness.

People in gulf states find alligators cute, people in India and sub-asian areas find tigers cute, and people in Russia like bears. There's even a couple groups here in NC dedicated to preserving and rescuing Bobcats and Cougars, despite those things being extremely bad for your health whenever encountered out in the boonies.

Deadly things can most certainly be cute, even if they pose a real and immediate danger to us.

Conversely, animals which pose little to no danger may be seen as gross or terrifying, such as spiders and millipedes.

[Xandrigity]

Is is actually quite accurate.

I saw it on natgeo or something.

[Forgettable]

Here you go:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuteness

[ItachiZaku]

Nature's perfect little death machine... don't be fooled.

[jackofwind]

I don't think you can include reptiles and insects in this topic. I'm talking about mammals.

Pretty much every predator chooses to kill the easiest thing it can catch - sickly, elderly, or young are prime targets.

As a completely random example, above is a fox hunting a baby ibex, as per BBC:PE2

[Revik]

You might think this is crazy but I think part of it is evolution at work. Humans being the dominate species on this planet are less likely to kill and/or eat said animal if it has 'cute' properties.

[Powerogue]

Here is a cute little baby parrot.

Anything is disgusting if it lacks/hasn't yet hit the developmental stage known as "floof"

[Kerplank]

All creatures featured in those videos are utterly adorable. Yes, even the centipede.

Btw... Who loves baby lizards? Everyone, that's who. Now, how about a tegu playing in a boot?

Behold its cuteness!!! Resistance is futile! All will be Awwwwwsimilated!

How utterly bizarre - the same guy who was in the past was condoning pointless cruelty to animals, and how people shouldn't have any empathy for a trapped animal that's suffering... talking about how cute animals are.

- - - Updated - - -

its cute to me.

Ditto to this guy as well.

[keyblade01]

Anything is disgusting if it lacks/hasn't yet hit the developmental stage known as "floof"

I find that baby sphynx adorable, and look at this little guy! https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...1726c701a0.jpg

[Stiffle69]

That baby parrot is in no way shape or form cute. At ALL.

[TirielWoW]

It doesn't really have to do with what protects them from predators, and has more to do with what our brain recognizes as "baby."

[Lord Havik]

How utterly bizarre - the same guy who was in the past was condoning pointless cruelty to animals, and how people shouldn't have any empathy for a trapped animal that's suffering... talking about how cute animals are.

I have the emotional and intellectual maturity to both find animals cute, and be perfectly fine with hunting and eating them.

It's something you gotta come to terms with as a member of an omnivorous species with a long history, both in terms of culture and in terms of evolution, of hunting and eating other animals. So long as one abides the law and doesn't go about eating other people's pets or liberating their food due to its cuteness, then no wrongs have been committed.

[Celista]

Nature makes babies cute so mommies don't abandon them.

Yup this is why. Otherwise we would have never left the primordial swamp, because there's no real incentive to want to take after a crying needy thing unless evolution offered you some incentives. Chemical/hormonal response to infants and children is a part of that reason.

[Volibear]

Does this stop predators from killing them? I'd have a hard time eating a baby anything.

Some baby animals are cute.
Some aren't (humans are a good example).

[Arewn]

Its a part of our instinct, allowing the animal to grow larger so that we can eat it later when it can provide more sustenance. And gives it a chance to produce off-spring which we can later eat.

(honestly though, idk).

[Tzalix]

They have features resembling human babies, which we have probably evolved to see as cute so we're more protective of them. Babies in many different species, especially mammals, develop in similar ways with similar growth patterns. So the fact that we find human babies cute, means we will also find a lot of baby animals cute. We have also selectively bred dogs and a few other animals to make them cute.

Vsauce talking about cuteness:

[Kryos]

Does this stop predators from killing them? I'd have a hard time eating a baby anything.

It does not help against predators but motivates their parents and others adults from their group to help and protect the infant. It's called Kindchenschema in Germany and follows a simple cuteness rule:
Large eyes, bulging craniums, retreating chins.I works with pretty much all mammals and most birds.


Konrad Lorenz argued in 1949 that infantile features triggered nurturing responses in adults and that this was an evolutionary adaptation which helped ensure that adults cared for their children, ultimately securing the survival of the species.

Melanie Glocker (2009) provided experimental evidence that infants' cuteness motivates caretaking in adults, even if they are not related to the infant.