Core vs Context

Biological Parallel

Cheetahs invest massively in cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems for speed (core competence) while maintaining minimal digestive complexity compared to hyenas (context). This asymmetric resource allocation reflects niche specialization: cheetahs hunt by pursuit, not scavenging, so gut processing is functional but not differentiating. Organisms that fail to distinguish core from context spread resources evenly and lose to specialists at every function.