Were humans always omnivores?

Question

Sorry, but the bible has nothing to do with early man:)

Answer 1

Most likely. We are opportunistic eaters. Probably part of the secret to our success.

Answer 2

From our teeth standpoint, then yes.

Odds are in the beginning we were just opportunists as we did not have the brain power to actively hunt for prey, or cultivate vegetables, that came with increased brain power and time.

The human body needs protein to survive and thrive and the most efficient way to acquire protein is to eat meat.

Yeah meat!

Answer 3

I believe we may have always had the potential to be omnivores, but were herbivores until we learned how to hunt animals and prepare animal meat.

So I guess our omnivorous ability came through environment, while herbivorous ability was through necessity.

Answer 4

If you take it from a Biblical perspective - then, no. In the garden of Eden humans were vegan. It's also worthy to note that almost all dietary restrictions outlined in the Bible are meats.

Answer 5

I think humans generally always have been if we define human as Homo sapiens.  It is interesting that Neanderthals are believed to be totally carniverous or nearly so.

Answer 6

If we look at our teeth, then its obvious to see, that we can both ground plants and cut meat with them, which is a good sign showing our omnivorous habits. But I do point out, that early humans where taking a lot more of their energy intakes from the plants, than from the meat. This is showed by our vestigal appendix that was probably used as a bacterial container to help digest hard to decomposed plants. Now its becomes atrophied, but it shows that our habits have been different since the beginning.

Answer 7

Omnivores means more than just being able to eat plants or animals. If we look at most species on the planet, most are adapted to monoculture diets. The most extreme example is the Koala which cannot eat anything other than Eucalyptus leaves.

Other species, like humans and rats, are able to resist the urge to engorge on found food and will first test the food to see if it is safe. This is one of the reasons why rats are so hard to poison.

Studies of naturally mummified human remains show that we were omnivores as far back as studies allow us to observe.

Answer 8

Yes, we have always been omnivores. We evolved from species that were omnivores, and our teeth and digestive organs are well suited to processing both plant and meat. Our closest ape relatives are omnivores too.

Some people think eating meat is unnatural. They need a lesson in biology. We've been eating meet for hundreds of thousands of years. The wide spread consumption of grains is far less natural and a relatively modern trend. The pre-agriculture diet of nuts/berries/roots/meat was really better suited to our nutritional needs than cereal crops.

Answer 9

Yes, always, relative to the emergence of Homonids, 4-5 million years ago...

In addition to the shape of our teeth, the length of our digestive tract is proportionately in-between herbivores and carnivores...

For example, cats and other carnivores have very short digestive tracts...

The meat comes in, the energy is absorbed, and it leaves quickly, however, cows for example, have 5 stomachs, and the grains and grasses which enter these herbivores, go through the longest cycles of internal processing to extract the little glucose available...