• novibe@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    2 months ago

    We might “be” predators, but we didn’t evolve to be predators. At least not obligatory predators like tigers.

    There’s no good evidence that shows meat from hunting was a major part of our diet for 99% of our evolutionary history.

    The vast majority of ancient humans found subsisted mostly on fruits, tubers, grain etc.

    It’s likely we started eating more meat only during the past ice age.

    We’re more like bears than tigers.

    • OnlyTrueLiberal [he/him, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      2 months ago

      But aren’t bears, at least brown bears and polar bears considered to be predators, even apex predators? They’re in order called “carnivora” so I think they might have evolved to be carnivores and predators. That being said pandas aren’t predators. I think you meant that we aren’t obligatory carnivores?

      I’d say that apes and humans are less predatory than bears. But some species do hunt for food.

      • Hestia [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        2 months ago

        Pandas aren’t predators because at some point in their evolutionary history they lost the ability to taste meat. So they eat bamboo instead, but still have the digestive system of a carnivore so it’s an extremely inefficient way of getting calories.

        • novibe@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          2 months ago

          Bears have omnivore digestive systems tho.

          Being from the Carnivora family doesn’t make you an obligatory carnivore.

          (Though their last common ancestor was most likely an obligatory carnivore yes. But bears are a very old group, and they have evolved away from obligatory meat eating a long long time ago. We also have some adaptations away from being herbivores for example - shorter intestines than gorillas etc.).

          • Hestia [she/her, comrade/them]@hexbear.net
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            2 months ago

            I never said it did? And I’m specifically referring to pandas, which do have the digestive system of a carnivore. Sure they’re still capable of digesting non-meat, but it’s inefficient.

      • novibe@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        edit-2
        2 months ago

        Bears (with the exception of polar bears) actually hunt very little. Black bears barely eat meat even. Their diet is mainly composed of nuts and berries. They eat meat if they find carcasses or are desperate enough.

        And like even deer hunt rabbits for food if they are desperate. You wouldn’t call them “predators”.