Why do so many poeple think we are natuarally omnivores?

5 Comments

1. novangelis says:

   March 31, 2010 at 3:11 am

   Humans are omnivores.

   The use of false analogies does not change facts. Chimpanzees are known to hunt colobus monkeys, but by the criteria listed, would be herbivores. Many of the anatomic differences between humans and chimps are best explained by the use of tools to cut meat and cooking.
2. Lucas C says:

   March 31, 2010 at 3:11 am

   Perhaps this will help answer your question:

   http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/omni.htm#evidence

   To sum up:

   *Ancient human societies were clearly hunter-gatherers, meaning that they consumed meat as well as plants.

   * The length of the intestine isn’t as important as the types of cells found IN the intestine for determining what an organism eats. More on this in a moment.

   * Nearly all herbivores have fermenting vats in which they let bacteria go to work breaking down the tough plant material that makes up the bulk of their diet. Humans have no such structures, indicating that humans cannot be true herbivores.

   * Canine size has little to do with diet in primates. The primates with the largest canines (gorillas and gelada baboons) are mostly vegetarians. Apparently our reduced canine size has more to do with our enlarged craniums and consequently reduced jaw size than with our diet.

   * Our salivary glands indicate that we could be omnivores. Unfortunately the website I cited doesn’t give much additional information on this point.

   * The inner surface area of the intestines is more important than their length. The inner surface area of human intestinal tract is intermediate between that of true carnivores and true herbivores, indicating that we are adapted to eating both meat and veggies.

   Why do so many people think we’re omnivores? Because that’s what the relevant evidence suggests.

   I hope that helps. Good luck!
3. Resmunga says:

   March 31, 2010 at 3:11 am

   Don’t agree with all of the mentioned features. For example: herbivores don’t have developed canine teeth, while our closest relatives – higher primates – do, just like carnivores.

   I guess primates are mostly herbivores, but are perfectly able to kill and eat a bird, a lizard or a smaller mammal, even another primate. Sometimes they engage in cannibalism, too.

   It’s not primarily the meat that kills us, but polluted environment plus stress plus weak adaptation from lack of natural selection.
4. Moe S says:

   March 31, 2010 at 3:11 am

   We adapted when we couldn’t find vegetables to eat. We had the fire, so we figured out that we could cook meat to make it edible.

   That’s all.

   So we adapted into omnivores.

   Maybe we’re all turning into carnivores now. (since people keep saying all the vegetables are running out).

   A famous author, Gurdjieff, said that the point of human existance (and that of all other life) is to modify one form into another, that is, oxygen to carbon dioxide, food to waste, etc… Maybe it’s more efficient and better for the environment to make plants into soil for other plants than to eat another machine and then convert into unusable soil?? But then, why are there carnivores?
5. Raindrops Fallin on my head says:

   March 31, 2010 at 3:11 am

   the fact that we can digest and absorb protein and other nutritional benefits from animals at the same time that we can digest and absorb plants as food makes us omnivores. that’s basically it, isn’t it?
   humans have adaptations that point out to our being omnivores. dental features (beneficial for eating plant and meat) being one. our digestive tract is suitable for both meat and plants. if we are just meant for plant digestion, a longer digestive tract would be needed, since it takes longer for plant fibers to be digested. humans also cannot digest cellulose, which is present in many plants. if we were designed to be exclusively veggie eaters, then adaptations like these shouldn’t have happened.