Peppers are hot for the birds
Ever wonder why peppers are hot? Generally if a plant grows showy, fragrant fruits the idea is for the fruit to be eaten and the seeds pooped out (spread more plants). But peppers, hmm they can be rather spicy (mmm), so what gives? Well, it turns out that, as well know, mammals (except for humans) really, really don’t like the hot of peppers. But, plants don’t evolve something for nothing so who is supposed to eat them? Birds.
Yep, Birds. Birds don’t have the receptors for react to capsaicin (what makes peppers hot). So they just chow down and spread the seeds hither, dither, and of course yon.
So now you know. Hot peppers are for the birds.
Tags: plant evolution, hot peppers, capsaicin
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