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The paper clearly states that humans are omnivores, and have eaten a varied diet as far back as we have evidence. Cats and sharks are carnivores. No known human

The paper clearly states that humans are omnivores, and have eaten a varied diet as far back as we have evidence. Cats and sharks are carnivores. No known human population subsists exclusively on meat, or even predominately. There’s ample evidence that early human species ate meat, and significantly more than chimpanzees and other primates. There’s no evidence — and plenty of contrary evidence - that humans have ever eaten meat exclusively (the definition of carnivore). Clearly we can survive on a vegetarian diet, lots of people do. A cat cannot.

twobitshifter 6y ago
Did you read the same paper as me? They point out that inuit peoples survive on meat predominantly. They present fossil and evolutionary evidence that we ate meat exclusively when large prey were abundant. They present evidence that our gastrointestinal system is adapted to a carnivore diet and is very different from that of other apes. Really read it. If you have some evidence that refutes their research into diets during the early Paleocene, please share. I’ve read plenty of articles that make the case for veganism as being better for the health of modern humans. There’s also nothing in this article that makes a case for a prescriptive modern diet or tells you what is healthy or better for the planet. Instead it is looking into diets of early humans.
- gregjor 6y ago
  Yes I read it. I intended to respond to the HN subject line claiming Homo Erectus was “basically a carnivore.” The Inuit diet provides an exception that appears to support the idea that humans are carnivores. However the Inuit are modern humans dating from the Holocene. They migrated to the Arctic and adapted to their diet out of necessity as the climate changed. The Inuit diet includes some berries, tubers, and seaweed. “Carnivore” has a specific meaning and human beings don’t fit. We are omnivorous. When meat is available we tend to prefer eating meat, but we don’t exclusively eat meat like cats do. We can digest a lot of foods, but not leaves and grass like chimps and gorillas can (at least not very efficiently).

twobitshifter 6y ago

Did you read the same paper as me? They point out that inuit peoples survive on meat predominantly. They present fossil and evolutionary evidence that we ate meat exclusively when large prey were abundant. They present evidence that our gastrointestinal system is adapted to a carnivore diet and is very different from that of other apes. Really read it. If you have some evidence that refutes their research into diets during the early Paleocene, please share. I’ve read plenty of articles that make the case for veganism as being better for the health of modern humans. There’s also nothing in this article that makes a case for a prescriptive modern diet or tells you what is healthy or better for the planet. Instead it is looking into diets of early humans.

gregjor 6y ago
Yes I read it. I intended to respond to the HN subject line claiming Homo Erectus was “basically a carnivore.” The Inuit diet provides an exception that appears to support the idea that humans are carnivores. However the Inuit are modern humans dating from the Holocene. They migrated to the Arctic and adapted to their diet out of necessity as the climate changed. The Inuit diet includes some berries, tubers, and seaweed. “Carnivore” has a specific meaning and human beings don’t fit. We are omnivorous. When meat is available we tend to prefer eating meat, but we don’t exclusively eat meat like cats do. We can digest a lot of foods, but not leaves and grass like chimps and gorillas can (at least not very efficiently).