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here's some information to start with: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4020-9699-0_1 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4020-9699-

by shlant 6y ago

here's some information to start with: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4020-9699-0_1 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4020-9699-0_... Here is a simplified overview: https://steemitimages.com/DQmYgdPbWvCt78oycPdEKNffevjh7UnCsqWRDtVxFJvtNXd/comparative%20anatomy%20vegan.jpg https://steemitimages.com/DQmYgdPbWvCt78oycPdEKNffevjh7UnCsq...

amanaplanacanal 6y ago
“Nonhuman” primates, it says. It’s pretty clear that humans haven’t eaten a primarily fruit based diet in a very long time. It’s likely that moving away from that diet predated changes that made us human.
- shlant 6y ago
  you could certainly make the argument that most humans haven't a primarily fruit based diet for a while (although evolutionarily it really hasn't been that long) but that doesn't change the fact they are our closest ancestors and the way our bodies are built STILL very much mirror those of primates which means they, in many ways, still work as theirs did. It's not like we have evolved entirely different digestive systems or something. Essentially everything is the same (which again makes sense as evolution is a VERY slow process)
  - amanaplanacanal 6y ago
    Gorillas digestion is based primarily on fermentation of plant fiber, which is why they have a huge gut. Humans have an acidic stomach environment which doesn’t digest fiber at all. A small amount of fermentation happens in the human gut, but it can only produce a few calories a day. Evolution has changed us considerably in the last couple million years. We may be closely related genetically to gorillas, but our digestion is probably closer now to a dog’s than a gorilla’s.
    - shlant 6y ago
      > our digestion is probably closer now to a dog’s than a gorilla I feel you are nitpicking one of MANY factors and choosing Gorillas out of all the primates because they are more terrestrial folivores than the rest. Almost all aspects of our structure mirror primates such as chimpanzees and orangutans. What about our digestive system is more like that of a dog? By the way - you flagging my comments just because you disagree is misusing the feature. This isn't reddit where you downvote whatever you disagree with. Flagging is for marking comments as breaking HN guidelines.

by shlant 6y ago

amanaplanacanal 6y ago

“Nonhuman” primates, it says. It’s pretty clear that humans haven’t eaten a primarily fruit based diet in a very long time. It’s likely that moving away from that diet predated changes that made us human.

shlant 6y ago
you could certainly make the argument that most humans haven't a primarily fruit based diet for a while (although evolutionarily it really hasn't been that long) but that doesn't change the fact they are our closest ancestors and the way our bodies are built STILL very much mirror those of primates which means they, in many ways, still work as theirs did. It's not like we have evolved entirely different digestive systems or something. Essentially everything is the same (which again makes sense as evolution is a VERY slow process)
- amanaplanacanal 6y ago
  Gorillas digestion is based primarily on fermentation of plant fiber, which is why they have a huge gut. Humans have an acidic stomach environment which doesn’t digest fiber at all. A small amount of fermentation happens in the human gut, but it can only produce a few calories a day. Evolution has changed us considerably in the last couple million years. We may be closely related genetically to gorillas, but our digestion is probably closer now to a dog’s than a gorilla’s.
  - shlant 6y ago
    > our digestion is probably closer now to a dog’s than a gorilla I feel you are nitpicking one of MANY factors and choosing Gorillas out of all the primates because they are more terrestrial folivores than the rest. Almost all aspects of our structure mirror primates such as chimpanzees and orangutans. What about our digestive system is more like that of a dog? By the way - you flagging my comments just because you disagree is misusing the feature. This isn't reddit where you downvote whatever you disagree with. Flagging is for marking comments as breaking HN guidelines.