Meat Eaters

[kopend]

i heard that only three species have changed there diet from a meat diet to a vegetarian diet (or vice versa) one being us (humans) the other a panda

what is the other ??


and is it true that the human intestines - if laid out flat would fill a tennis court ???

[EcclesCake]

I wasn't aware that as a species humans had converted to a vegetarian diet?

[kopend]

i ment humans had gone the other way i.e from vegetarian diet to a mainly meat diet (which is why i said or vice versa)

[Tilly2]

The intestines might stretch round a tennis court. I'm not convinced that they would 'fill' a tennis court, though.

[carrust]

Panda's eat meat as well.

[ummmm]

Do they?

I don't understand why people insist on eating meat. It's not actually very nice...imo.

[Tilly2]

Do they, rusty? I thought they only ate bamboo shoots (and leaves).

Oh, is the other one a kola bear. Did it eat meat before it changed to eating eucalyptus shoots (and leaves)?

[rockyracoon]

Lol, you can't beat a sausage sandwich.

That being said, I eat a lot less meat than I used to and would happily have a roast without the meat, except the gravy, that has to have meat juice in it.

[carrust]

I saw a natural history prog where they set a hidden camera next to some carrion. The giant panda was tucking in like a good 'un.

[Prudie]

Were humans once vegetarian only? Not aware of that, certainly not going back as far as cavemen. And all the great apes eat meat and veg in the wild.

[boxtops]

I've never heard that humans used to be veggies - cavemen used to kill mammoths or whatever, kept them going for months.

[Mosaic]

The marks on fossil teeth from our ancestors such as australopithecus are similar to those on modern chimps, suggesting a similar diet. It used to be thought that chimps are vegetarian but close observation of wild behaviour has shown that they are meat eaters when opportunity presents itself - and even cannibalistic.
In addition the numbers of early fossils are small - we can't be sure the traits visible on this small number speak for the entire species at that time.

[emmie]

i wasn't aware that early man was a vegetarian, and going on the animal kingdom many of those are not either. Chimps have been shown, by the estimable David Attenborough to kill and eat other animals, mostly notable monkeys.

[razza]

From vegetarian to carnivore,I wouldnt think so,carnivores have teeth,incisors,canine,molars vegetarians apart from those who have changed havent got canine or incisors,the only ones who have changed to a vegetarian diet is humans,and if we all went vegetarian we would probably lose our teeth eventually,according to scientists.We are now classed as omnivores because of the variety in our diet,also anything in moderation is mostly good for ones health,a strict vegetarian diet is no good to anyone unless supplements are taken,scientific fact,a meat only diet is no good to anyone,scientific fact.Cavemen who were mostly meat eater only lived to an average age of about 30,partly because of the mostly meat diet and partly through poor dental hygiene.Now wheres that bacon cob.

[LazyGun]

We have always been omnivores - equipped through adaptation to eat more or less anything.

https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/omni.htm

[Angeletic_Opera]

I don't go on a diet :I im okay as I am. But this shocked me //and is it true that the human intestines - if laid out flat would fill a tennis court ???// Well... we don't know. Doubt it.

[pastafreak]

@emmie...I thought Jane Goodall was the first to observe chimps eating meat.

[pastafreak]

I don't think cavemen died as a result of a meat only diet. More likely infection,and predators.

[Clanad]

Here's me trying to figure out why pandas and koalas (I think this is the correct spelling) leave after eating either bamboo or eucalyptus... maybe it's a vegan thing?

[heathfield]

Because, once they've eaten all the bamboo or eucalyptus, they have to move on for their next meal?

[wildwood]

There are very few animals that are truly vegies only. Even herbivorous animals take in a surprising amount of animal protein that live on the herbage they eat. On the other end, the feline carnivores don't live on meat alone, they usually eat animals totally or go for the intestines of their kill first, so ingesting their trace elements requirement found in the gut.