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4 comments

[–] doggone 0 points (+0|-0)

"Giving up is a very important thing for animals to be able to do," he says. Without the ability to stop a behavior that's not working, animals would needlessly deplete their energy.

Would a real world example of this be something like when a fish is already in the stomach of another fish?

[–] xyzzy [OP] 1 points (+1|-0)

No, in that case they would have greater worries than energy. It's about swimming upstream with current faster than they can swim.

[–] doggone 0 points (+0|-0)

they would have greater worries

Maybe.

You do see animals give up if their stuck in mud or in the jaws of a lion. When fishing, and you've got one hooked, they may "give up" for a while, then fight again. I assumed they were tired. Seems as though it could be the same mechanism.

[–] xyzzy [OP] 1 points (+1|-0)

they may "give up" for a while, then fight again. I assumed they were tired. Seems as though it could be the same mechanism.

Looks like it. They give up for the moment and try again after they recover.