17 ms·

After reading that article, that doesn't seem to be what they're claiming (despite the title / URL). It says that we were opportunistic, and what opportunities

After reading that article, that doesn't seem to be what they're claiming (despite the title / URL). It says that we were opportunistic, and what opportunities presented changed over the years (and our guts with them). I disagree that our teeth and guts are more akin to herbivores, and so does the article you link. Hell, if you google image search for "omnivore teeth" the first result is literally a human mouth. Do some omnivores mouths look different? Sure, some have evolved to eat more live prey than others- some canines are bigger than others because of this. But the same teeth are present; most herbivores literally do not have canines. The ones that do, such as elephants, aren't used for eating but instead for defense or manipulating their environment so I don't think that counts.

cageface 7y ago
Most people have small or even non existent canines. Not much use for the jobs real carnivores need them for. Again I’m not claiming that humans are pure herbivores. Just that we’re closer to that side of the omnivore spectrum.
- inawarminister 7y ago
  >Most people have small or even non existent canines. Not much use for the jobs real carnivores need them for And smaller jaws generations by generations... I believe anthropology concluded this adaptation was caused by cooking. Certainly, gorillas who are almost obligate herbivores have proportionally bigger fangs than us. Incidentally, human guts don't ferment plants at all, so I'd argue we are closer to the carnivore half of the omnivore spectrum. Or perhaps we outsource the fermentation to our tools and storages, which is actually a valid animal feeding tactics.. [0] https://ucdintegrativemedicine.com/2016/03/youre-not-cow-gorilla-dont-eat-like-one-either/ https://ucdintegrativemedicine.com/2016/03/youre-not-cow-gor...
  - marci 7y ago
    Incidentally, humans don't need meat, so I'd argue we are closer to the frugi/graminivore half of the omnivore spectrum, like chimpanzees, our closest relatives.

cageface 7y ago

Most people have small or even non existent canines. Not much use for the jobs real carnivores need them for. Again I’m not claiming that humans are pure herbivores. Just that we’re closer to that side of the omnivore spectrum.

inawarminister 7y ago
>Most people have small or even non existent canines. Not much use for the jobs real carnivores need them for And smaller jaws generations by generations... I believe anthropology concluded this adaptation was caused by cooking. Certainly, gorillas who are almost obligate herbivores have proportionally bigger fangs than us. Incidentally, human guts don't ferment plants at all, so I'd argue we are closer to the carnivore half of the omnivore spectrum. Or perhaps we outsource the fermentation to our tools and storages, which is actually a valid animal feeding tactics.. [0] https://ucdintegrativemedicine.com/2016/03/youre-not-cow-gorilla-dont-eat-like-one-either/ https://ucdintegrativemedicine.com/2016/03/youre-not-cow-gor...
- marci 7y ago
  Incidentally, humans don't need meat, so I'd argue we are closer to the frugi/graminivore half of the omnivore spectrum, like chimpanzees, our closest relatives.