From Veggies to Meat: Man-Apes become human

The “man-apes” of Africa (australopithecines) was first discovered in a 1924 dig. This is considered by anthropologists as being one of the most exciting and enlightening finds of modern anthropology. The man-ape, which was first born perhaps a million years ago, represents the transition point of the transformation from ape to human. From the shuffling vegetarian ape to the upright walking carnivore human, this man-ape creature had the brain one-half the size of the modern human.

Most of what we now consider to be human has resulted from the taste for meat developing in this man-ape creature. Hunting for meat requires hunting in groups, which in turn requires better communication between individuals, which in turn requires better tools and weapons, which in turn requires newer forms of social organization, all of which leads to greater intellectual sophistication.

This greater intellectual sophistication has led this newly evolving species into the development of a much larger brain with the sophisticated reasoning ability of the modern human. Meat eating has made humans of us.

“Man developed away from the apes precisely because he had to hunt meat; and if you want to hunt meat you cannot afford yourself the luxury of baboon behavior.”

As a result of our carnivorous appetite we have developed non-primate social relations; we now regulate sexual behavior and develop families requiring new social harmonies. We now acquire our recognition from others not based upon what we take but from what we give. “Unlike the baboon who gluts himself only on food, man nourishes himself mostly on self-esteem…The hunting band lives in the security of internal peace necessary to get food, of the right of all to partake of what food there is, and of the certainty of the provision of regular sexual partners for all.”

We are now beginning to comprehend the fact that humans are primarily unique because wo/man is a total celebration of itself in distinctive self-expression.

Quotes from “The Birth and Death of Meaning”—Ernest Becker

I knew there was a reason that I'm not a vegetarian! (beside the fact that I love the taste of a good steak or chop)

:thumbs:

Many meat eaters are content with being scavengers, never developing past this point intellectually.
I am still not convinced that man, as we know him today, was not separate from the apes.
Religions are not considered at all in this statement.

“Man developed away from the apes precisely because he had to hunt meat; and if you want to hunt meat you cannot afford yourself the luxury of baboon behavior.”Similarly, it's difficult for nomadic peoples to brew beer. The discovery of fermentation and the resultant need for a steady supply of grain may well have been the catalyst that transformed hunter/gatherer tribes into early agrarian societies.

Many meat eaters are content with being scavengers, never developing past this point intellectually.Humans aren't equipped with sharp talons, claws and teeth. Nor do we have great strength for our size. Unlike more 'natural' predators we need a developed intellect to hunt successfully.

From Veggies to Meat: Man-Apes become human

The “man-apes” of Africa (australopithecines) was first discovered in a 1924 dig. This is considered by anthropologists as being one of the most exciting and enlightening finds of modern anthropology. The man-ape, which was first born perhaps a million years ago, represents the transition point of the transformation from ape to human. From the shuffling vegetarian ape to the upright walking carnivore human, this man-ape creature had the brain one-half the size of the modern human.

Most of what we now consider to be human has resulted from the taste for meat developing in this man-ape creature. Hunting for meat requires hunting in groups, which in turn requires better communication between individuals, which in turn requires better tools and weapons, which in turn requires newer forms of social organization, all of which leads to greater intellectual sophistication.

This greater intellectual sophistication has led this newly evolving species into the development of a much larger brain with the sophisticated reasoning ability of the modern human. Meat eating has made humans of us.

“Man developed away from the apes precisely because he had to hunt meat; and if you want to hunt meat you cannot afford yourself the luxury of baboon behavior.”

As a result of our carnivorous appetite we have developed non-primate social relations; we now regulate sexual behavior and develop families requiring new social harmonies. We now acquire our recognition from others not based upon what we take but from what we give. “Unlike the baboon who gluts himself only on food, man nourishes himself mostly on self-esteem…The hunting band lives in the security of internal peace necessary to get food, of the right of all to partake of what food there is, and of the certainty of the provision of regular sexual partners for all.”

We are now beginning to comprehend the fact that humans are primarily unique because wo/man is a total celebration of itself in distinctive self-expression.

Quotes from “The Birth and Death of Meaning”—Ernest Becker

Mankind grouped together because of "predators. It had nothing to do with hunting. Mankind developed a taste for meat as a result of eating his "predators". And once you whip your predators, everything else is a buffet.

Technically speaking we, those of us that are human :) , are biologically designed to eat insects and tropical fruits. Most of what we consider food isn't good for us; and because of naturally fermented fruits, mankind has probably had an alcohol problem clean back to the begining :)

Tucker58

Humans aren't equipped with sharp talons, claws and teeth. Nor do we have great strength for our size. Unlike more 'natural' predators we need a developed intellect to hunt successfully.


Agreed, but what could have been the deciding factor to equip certain creatures with the sharp talons, strength, and teeth, and not humans?
I suppose we could, just as easily, have been intelligent and equipped with such formidable personal weapons. A major theory of evolution seems to be that creatures slowly evolved in forms that satisfied their needs for particular ways of attaining food, as well as surviving the environment.

I just wonder sometimes if evolution had done its job by the time humans, as we know them, came along.

I am more inclined to believe that modern humans bred-out and killed out the cave man types that existed. These cave man types may have been the product of the monkey evolution thingy.

Well, if meat (huge quantities of protein and fat) which are slowly digested to give energy got us here to begin with, it is going to be what kills off much of the herd in the end.

Seems large numbers of us have not learned to adapt sufficiently to our new leisure environment and obviously our large brain has not learned how to turn off the hunger signals that were used to encourage the "then needed" fat storage.

Nature has a way of evening things out for those who do not grasp the concept of "balance". So... from plant eater to animal eater and back to plant eater. The irony is perfect.

If intelligence is tied to meat eating, I cannot help but wonder if we all started eating only vegetables, would man evolve into an unintelligent-tree climbing thingy in a million years or two. By the theory of evolution I suppose we would.