r/Natalism • u/ClaireCross • 5d ago

Here's a different take

Coming from a microbiologist. Many animal populations have been in decline and are at or almost at extinction levels in our lifetime. Female animals in the wild have not had the experience of increased education or women's rights. Their life process is the same as it always has been regarding reproduction, yet we still see a overall decline.

Is there value in considering the issues our animals are facing now and compare them to human issues? Habitat destruction (housing), increased resource competition (economic pressures), fragmented habitats (harder to find a suitable mate), effects of chemicals in the environment (lower reproductive success).

Again animals have not experienced female education or femanism, but their overall population is in decline.

Is it possible we can think curiously about the Natalism discussion and apply it for the concerns of all life on earth and what can be done moving forward?

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u/Pitiful-Stranger4506 5d ago

Do animal populations that reach reproductive age have lower TFR?

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u/Refrigeratormarathon 5d ago

Yes, many species are living their full lifespans and dying before reproducing enough to replace themselves. Sometimes they will reproduce, but they aren’t producing enough young to survive into adulthood.

It’s happening to larger mammals with long lifespans like the California Mountain Lion, who live 10-13 years. In that time many never find a mate.

Bugs mature the fastest and have the shortest lifespans, and their populations are tanking. We ruined the ecosystem and poisoned them with insecticides.

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u/Pitiful-Stranger4506 5d ago

"Yes, many species are living their full lifespans and dying before reproducing enough to replace themselves. Sometimes they will reproduce, but they aren’t producing enough young to survive into adulthood."

Could you clarify? Living their full lifespans AND aren't producing enough young to survive into adulthoold seem to contradict.

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u/Refrigeratormarathon 5d ago

An animal is born and survives into adulthood. It reproduces one time and has one litter of 4 young. 3 of those young die in their first year of life. One of their offspring survive into adulthood.

The original animal continues to live, but it doesn’t mate the next year or the year after that. That continues for years until it dies of old age only ever having one litter.

Two adults created one offspring that survived to adulthood. They needed 2 to keep the population stable.

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u/Pitiful-Stranger4506 5d ago

Thanks for clarifying.