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People that defend the Carnivore diet, argument that plants don't want to be eaten and because they lack locomotion to run away but are excellent at chemistry,
by elmar 7y ago
People that defend the Carnivore diet, argument that plants don't want to be eaten and because they lack locomotion to run away but are excellent at chemistry, have developed toxins to protect themselves from predators.
- tiborsaas 7y agoI'm really happy they've developed capsaicin :D
- oh_sigh 7y agoAnd caffeine, which is an insecicide
- inimino 7y agoAnd don't forget--nicotine.
- abruzzi 7y agoAs I understand it birds are not sensitive to capsaicin, and unlike mammals who will eat the entire fruit, seeds and all, passing it through their digestive tract, birds are careless eaters and will drop half their food while eating, effectively spreading seeds.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- donalm 7y agoIf the carnivore wants food, something will have to eat the plants.
- superpermutat0r 7y agoAnd these toxins might bioaccumulate in the flesh of the animal that gets eaten, poisoning the carnivore even more.
- inimino 7y agoThen they'd stop eating it, evolve to metabolize it, or go extinct.
- raverbashing 7y agoDepends on the toxin. I can't think of any example off of the top of my head, and it's a bit hard. Toxins that bioaccumulate either are produced outside and don't work well inside a biological system (heavy metals, etc) or are fat-soluble Easiest for plants to do is make neurotoxins as they don't have a nervous system to get bothered by it. But those are usually water-soluble.
- elmar 7y agoOxalates sometimes stay on the animal.
- elmar 7y agoThey are metabolized and excreted by the animal, some animals have evolved to deal with the toxins.
- pvaldes 7y agoHerbivores evolved to be able to deactivate it, or host other microorganisms able to deactivate it. Carnivore stomach is short and very acid to be able to dissolve bones and horns. Most complex molecules wouldn't survive to be dipped in acid two times in two different stomachs and be taken in the intestine by the blood vessels later. Terrestrial mammals are safe to eat normally if not rotten (not so much safe to kill them). Plants are unsafe to eat by default, except domesticated species and some wild species. Ripped fruits like 50/50, often safe to eat but not always.
- Hitton 7y agoYou could argue that the ones that didn't develop the toxins don't mind getting eaten.