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A quote from an article[1] about the latest research about a "vegetarian gene": "Furthermore, before the advent of farming, pre-Neolithic hunter–gatherers thro

by nec4b 6y ago

A quote from an article[1] about the latest research about a "vegetarian gene": "Furthermore, before the advent of farming, pre-Neolithic hunter–gatherers throughout Europe had been subsisting on animal-based diets with a substantial aquatic contribution, in contrast to the plant-heavy diets of recent European farmers." Temperate climate means 4 distinct seasons and plants rest from autumn to spring. Which makes it impossible find and eat fruits of plants for 6 months. Sure you could store some nuts, but that will not cover you dietary needs for long. [1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-017-0167.epdf?author_access_token=H2MAFHPYpugqz6ruGn4t39RgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0MZSw8rIX7nJZN5xepwqPkUHNOIjTuKAUxU3G2p85riRrRxy5J9VOfeVCmgLtBGrtrgpZLv_CgS9tmHeaBHHGRagGRHiZkYiRtIT70SjpdnvQ== https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-017-0167.epdf?author_...

runarberg 6y ago
I don’t know if upper paleolithic Europe had temperate climate. Given that there was a pretty deep ice age at the time I would definitely consider that insular population in a harsh climate. Also like I said above game is seasonal, and winter is exactly when hunting becomes easier as game is more vulnerable in the absence of foliage and takes greater risks as their own food source is scarce. If I were to guess, winter is when most pre-neolithic societies did most of their hunting in temperate regions, and consequently ate most of their meat. I would also guess that in late summer and early autumn months went by without any meat what so ever (except fish, some birds, and scavenged meat) as roots and nuts are plentiful and game is the hardest to hunt. EDIT: I would also like to add, that the original claim was that it is in human nature to eat meat. If that were true, people wouldn’t have stopped doing it after the neolithic revolution as farming spread and plant based food became even easier. I mean we kept feeding meat to our dogs as it is definitely in the wolfs nature to eat meat.

by nec4b 6y ago

runarberg 6y ago

I don’t know if upper paleolithic Europe had temperate climate. Given that there was a pretty deep ice age at the time I would definitely consider that insular population in a harsh climate. Also like I said above game is seasonal, and winter is exactly when hunting becomes easier as game is more vulnerable in the absence of foliage and takes greater risks as their own food source is scarce. If I were to guess, winter is when most pre-neolithic societies did most of their hunting in temperate regions, and consequently ate most of their meat. I would also guess that in late summer and early autumn months went by without any meat what so ever (except fish, some birds, and scavenged meat) as roots and nuts are plentiful and game is the hardest to hunt. EDIT: I would also like to add, that the original claim was that it is in human nature to eat meat. If that were true, people wouldn’t have stopped doing it after the neolithic revolution as farming spread and plant based food became even easier. I mean we kept feeding meat to our dogs as it is definitely in the wolfs nature to eat meat.