How long have carnivores existed?

Question

When did life first evolve to eat meat? (i.e. other animals)

Answer 1

There are even bacteria that prey on other bacteria.  So -- probably about three billion years.

Answer 2

Dinosaurs... Duhh.

Answer 3

Ever since animals started roaming the place.

i guess that they resorted to eating meat due to climate change and couldnt find any plants, but after thousands of years of eating other animals, i guess the developed to continue eating like that, and soon evolved with the right limbs teeth etc.

its all due to climate and there surroundings that animals evolve...

edit:

and yeah, all there was was water and bacteria, but soon some bacteria formed together and grew largr and larger, and formed coral which soon grew lif forms which grew of it and it all started from there.

Answer 4

Since their creation.

hope it helped.

Answer 5

I suspect that carnivores have existed since before the Cambrian explosion, 550 million years ago.  They certainly preceded the dinosaurs.  They also preceded the evolution of bony fish from fish that had only cartilage.  The evidence for this is the existence of sharks which are carnivores but do not have bones but have cartilage.

Answer 6

Pretty much as long as life has existed (so about 4 billion years).

Many single-celled photosynthetic organisms can and do also prey on other single-celled organisms.

So autotrophism and heterotrophism most likely evolved at the same time.

Answer 7

since creation

Answer 8

Scientist Constantly Argue Between The Bronze And Stone Age. Probably More Of Stone Because Animal Bones Had Come In Handy.