[user104658]

Human meat is actually toxic to humans. Though perhaps that's only in the western world. Apparently, all of the additives and crap we eat and drink, and the general toxins in our everydays lives, make us unfit for human consumption. Quite worrying in itself, really.

[lostalex]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Human meat is actually toxic to humans. Though perhaps that's only in the western world. Apparently, all of the additives and crap we eat and drink, and the general toxins in our everydays lives, make us unfit for human consumption. Quite worrying in itself, really.

i'm pretty sure that consumption of human meat is much more common in the 3rd world than it is in the western world, so i don't think that's the problem. I think it's like mad cow disease, which came about from feeding cow meat to cows. It's an evolutionary mechanism built in to our genes that makes sure that cannibalism is not rewarded in our genes pools. Evolution rewards us for expanding our gene pools, and protect our own gene pools, so eating our own kind would not be beneficial genetically. Evolution does not want us to be eating our young during a hard winter, because those young, if they survive, are our best hope for carrying on our genes to the next generation.

[Nedusa]

Originally Posted by lostalex

i'm pretty sure that consumption of human meat is much more common in the 3rd world than it is in the western world, so i don't think that's the problem. I think it's like mad cow disease, which came about from feeding cow meat to cows. It's an evolutionary mechanism built in to our genes that makes sure that cannibalism is not rewarded in our genes pools. Evolution rewards us for expanding our gene pools, and protect our own gene pools, so eating our own kind would not be beneficial genetically. Evolution does not want us to be eating our young during a hard winter, because those young, if they survive, are our best hope for carrying on our genes to the next generation.

Would certainly go a long way in explaining the problem that is........Africa !!!

[user104658]

Originally Posted by lostalex

i'm pretty sure that consumption of human meat is much more common in the 3rd world than it is in the western world, so i don't think that's the problem. I think it's like mad cow disease, which came about from feeding cow meat to cows. It's an evolutionary mechanism built in to our genes that makes sure that cannibalism is not rewarded in our genes pools. Evolution rewards us for expanding our gene pools, and protect our own gene pools, so eating our own kind would not be beneficial genetically. Evolution does not want us to be eating our young during a hard winter, because those young, if they survive, are our best hope for carrying on our genes to the next generation.

Maybe so, although cannibalism of those who aren't family members would be evolutionarily advantageous to an extent, especially if they were riddled with regressive traits. An instinct for "Survival of the species" is a total myth, all we're programmed for us survival of our own genetic line, mainly direct decendants although siblings and to a lesser extent full cousins. We should be eating everyone else really. Unless they have some nice genetically diverse traits we'd like to incorporate.

Interestingly, matricidal cannibalism is quite common in the animal kingdom. Rodents especially are big on eating their babies. Ever tried to breed hamsters? You have to get those little suckers out of the cage quickly, or they'll start disappearing! Lots of other species have a habit of killing and eating their "runt" sibling, too.