The host of the show "Film Theory" discusses the evolutionary biology of "Baby Yoda" from the Disney+ show "The Mandalorian". He explores why Baby Yoda, a 50-year-old member of the Yoda species, is still in a state of infancy. The host proposes that the Yoda species, which he refers to as "Tridactyls", have a unique evolutionary trait that allows them to live for 900 years, but their childhood development period is extremely long, lasting around 50 years.
The host draws parallels between human evolution and the Tridactyls, suggesting that both species have large brains that require a significant amount of energy to develop, leading to a prolonged childhood. He explains that this is due to the "expensive tissue hypothesis", which states that the energy required to grow and maintain large brains is so great that it slows down the development of other bodily functions.
The host also discusses the concept of neoteny, which is the process of evolutionarily delaying the development period, and how it has benefited humans but may have ultimately led to the decline of the Tridactyls. He theorizes that the Tridactyls' extended childhood makes them vulnerable to extinction, as they are unable to reproduce quickly enough to adapt to changing environments.
The episode ends with the host reflecting on the scientific plausibility of the Star Wars universe and the tragic fate of the Tridactyls.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Baby Yoda is a member of the Yoda species and is 50 years old in the Mandalorian.
2. The Yoda species is also referred to as the Tridactyls because they have three digits on their extremities.
3. Yoda lived to be 900 years old, as stated in Return of the Jedi.
4. Baby Yoda is functionally equivalent to a 10-month-old human baby, despite being 50 years old.
5. The Tridactyls have a long development period, with the first 50 years of life spent as a baby.
6. The reason for this long development period is due to the Tridactyls' highly evolved brain, which requires a lot of energy to develop.
7. Human babies also have a long development period due to their highly evolved brains, but it is not as long as the Tridactyls'.
8. The process of evolutionarily prolonging the development period is called Neoteny.
9. The Tridactyls' long childhood makes them vulnerable to extinction due to natural disasters, plagues, and other threats.
10. Yoda is one of the last members of his species, and his species' extinction is likely due to their long childhood making them unable to survive.
11. The Tridactyls' elongated childhood is a contributor to their extinction, making it a scientifically plausible explanation for their disappearance in the Star Wars universe.
12. George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, did not want Yoda's species to have a name, and rarely sanctioned work that revealed information about their species.
13. The Tridactyls are known to be the wisest and most powerful force users in the galaxy.
14. Human brains command up to 87% of the total energy that the body uses at rest, making the development of the brain a high-energy process.
15. Baby Yoda's proportions, with a large head and small body, are similar to those of human babies, and serve a function in infancy by allowing the brain to develop rapidly.