User:Ivitello/sandbox

Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits and personalities to non-living or living things that are not human. Anthropomorphism is used to explain animal behaviors to children but can lead to an inaccurate understanding of how we interact with wild animals and their biology. In The Little Mermaid (1989 film), the marine animals are anthropomorphized. For example, Flounder, Sebastian, and Scuttle where all able to talk and show human emotions, which does not occur in natural marine ecosystems.

K and R Strategist Species

Most species shown throughout the movie would be considered k-strategist species. One of the main characteristics of k-strategist species is that they only have a few offspring while putting a lot of time and energy into raising them. This is shown through King Triton and his relationship with his daughters. A benefit of being a k-strategist species is they have a long lifespan and a downside is they have to put a lot of effort into raising their offspring. In contrast, r-strategist species have many offspring but do not put any time or energy into raising them. For example, flounder fish in real life, like the fish in the film, are r-strategists who produce multiple eggs but do not devote their time to raising their offspring. A benefit of being an r-strategist species is they have many off spring that they do not have to care for so they are able to pass down their genes with minimal effort. A downside to being an r-strategist species is they have a short lifespan.

Species Interactions

Many of the interactions between the species in The Little Mermaid are unrealistic. In real life, Scuttle would be a predator to Flounder and Sebastian, but these characters are friends in the movie. Another inaccurate interaction shown was mutualism, a relationship between animals that is beneficial to both parties. One example is when the marine animals worked together to create a romantic atmosphere so Ariel and Eric would kiss on the boat. This is unrealistic because anthropomorphism is applied to the animals while they are singing. Many of the animals in the scene would have a predator-prey relationship, such as the birds and fish. On the other hand, the movie did show some instances of realistic interactions. The scene where Ariel and Eric are served crab for dinner would be an example of predation because they ate crab. Predation occurs when one animal is affected negatively, and the other is affected positively.

Trophic Levels

In the film, the characters do not follow a realistic trophic level. The animals would have a predator-prey relationship in real life but in the film they are friends. If The Little Mermaid had a realistic trophic levels, the primary producers would be made up of algae and seaweed. The primary consumers would consist of small fish, coral, and clams. Secondary consumers would include bigger fish, crabs, lobsters, star fish, octopus, seahorses, and sting rays. Lastly the tertiary consumers would include dolphins, sharks, whales, birds, and humans.