How Fruit Seeds Should Be Seen

Scientists say that reason fruits are sweet is because this attracts animals to eat them, carry the fruit seeds in its stomach, and poop far away from the parent fruit tree/shrub. Poop is supposedly an ideal environment for the seed to develop. In other words, there is a symbiotic relationship between herbivorous animals and fruits like there is with bees and flowers. This is one of many “evolutionary advantages” I’ve read that just sound stupid. Why? Firstly, animals don’t even eat fruits in their entirety—animals just eat the sweet flesh. We discard outer rind and the inner seeds/pit. Even my dog innately knows not to swallow seeds. Secondly, how can poop be the ideal environment for seeds to develop? Poop is unwanted, innutritious waste product.

A real evolutionary advantage is the outer cover that fruits have. E.g. skin that tastes bitter or astringent, a hard shell, a spiky shell, etc. The purpose of this is to protect the plant embryo inside from weather, insects, animals, etc. Yes, we are the plant’s enemy, not its savior. My hypothesis is that fruit seeds are akin to animal embryos; a fruit is akin to the placenta of the animal. So the hard shell of your favorite fruit is serving the same purpose as the egg shell of a bird or reptile—protecting the embryo from outsiders. The bitter rind of an orange is equivalent to the protective behavior of a pregnant woman. The inner flesh of the fruit is sweet and fatty—full of nourishment—because it is meant to feed the seedling, not entice outsiders to eat it. The early root system takes in nutrients and whatnot from the flesh. The animal equivalent is a mother—attached to its newborn via umbilical cord and possessing nurturing instincts—feeding its newborn. I believe there is no symbiotic relationship between animals and fruits, as scientists say.

Consequences

Everyone knows how to grow a fruit tree. Seed + dirt + water + sunlight = growing plant. This is what is taught and practiced all around the world. If you think about it, what humans are doing is stripping the seed of its protective shell and nutritious flesh and then planting the seed bare. To me this is like taking a fetus out of the womb and away from the mother and expecting it to grow. This method has been used everywhere for centuries, which makes me think: have we ruined the taste of fruits? Is every fruit I eat today more bitter or sour than it used to be, due to generations of neglected baby plants? Can we grow a seed in a vat of nutritious sugar and fat to improve the fruit’s taste? Alas, the “fetal stages” of a fruit plant are probably not that important today because most fruits are propagated via grafting.

A suitable alternative womb for a seedling?



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