Monday, August 27, 2012

Herbivores, Carnivores, or Omnivores? Which are you?

Let's not look at religion or personal opinion.  Let's look at humans and science, in general.

Are human beings naturally Herbivores (eat only plants), Carnivores (eat only meat), or Omnivores (eat both plants and meat)?  Why?

Watch the 2 videos below:  After watching the videos, answer the question above and explain why you think so.

## remember to come back to the blog and read other comments and reply.

36 comments:

  1. In my opinion, human beings are naturally omnivores because human beings have both pointy teeth like Carnivores and flat teeth like Herbivores.

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    1. Miyuu

      Good point. I think that is great evidence that supports humans as omnivores. How about our intestines? What does having a long intestine say about our meat eating habits?

      Delete
    2. We have long intestines so it is good to assimilate all kinds of food (as Mai said).
      A certain article on the internet said, human beings' intestines are 12 times as long as our bodies.
      Also, chimpanzees which are said to be near to human beings are omnivores. So I think that human beings are omnivores.

      Delete
  2. I think human beings are naturally omnivores too. Human beings have teeth like carnivores and herbivores but digestive organs too. Human's intestines are long so it is good for absorption nutrition from plant and meet. Humans body can make various digestive juices so humans can digest plant and meet in stomach.

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    1. Mai,

      Yes, our intestines are great for plants, but not so good for meat. However, we can do it!! On the other hand, I do not think our intestines can manage too much meat. If we eat more meat than vegetables or fruits, it will be too much for our bodies to manage. What do you think?

      Delete
    2. I reserched about our intestines. one article said our intestines are not good for eating meat.
      According to the article We need digestive organs with high density and short intestines to eat much meat. Carnivors commonly have 4 meters intestines, herbivores have more than 30 meters, but human have 7 to 9 meters.

      I think we will have stomach trouble or intestinal trouble if we eat much meat. In fact, I have had stomachach after I ate much meat. I think we have to consider balance of meat and vegetables.

      Delete
  3. I researched it in the Internet.It said that humanbeings started eating meat form 2500 thousand years ago. Some people think there are four reasons that people started eating meat. 1) They imitated animals to catch other creatures for food when they are hungry.2) they knew the method that how to use tools to catch animals.3)They knew how to use fire.4) They need more nutrition.The four reasons people said may not true, but according these,I guess humanbeings were herbivores,and they evoluted to be naturally omnivores.

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    Replies
    1. Kari

      Very good points. Do you have the URL where you found the information? It would be good to let others see it too. Thanks!!

      Huskey

      Delete
    2. I agree with you.I think the reasons that you produced are important.If human beings didn't know how to use the fire,maybe we couldn't eat meat,and we ate only plants.Furthermore,I interested in your first reason.I never thought it,so I think this reason is very interesting.

      Delete
  4. I think human beings naturally herbivores.Beacuse the structure of the our body is more close to herbivores.We hasn't sharp teeth and hunting skill to catch the other animals .And our intestines are longer than carnivores.Long intestines make ehough time for people digestion the plants.This also prove human beings only to eat the plants.

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    Replies
    1. Miho

      Yes, I agree with you. I think we are natural herbivores, but over time humans started to eat meat. According to an article I found, it says "Some early humans may have started eating meat as a way to survive" (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/02/0218_050218_human_diet.html). For example, if there were not much vegetables or plants, humans had to eat something.

      This same article also says that because humans eat meat now it has made some major changes to our body, like the size of jaws, etc.

      I think humans are natural herbivores but evolving is part of life, so I do not think eating meat is all bad. However, too much meat can be a problem, in my opinion.

      Delete
  5. I think human beings naturally omnivores because human beings have both characteristics of herbivores and carnivores.I think human teeth are similar to herbivore rather than carnivores,but location of eyes are similar to carnivores.Also, there is a difference in the length of the intestine.

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    1. Yui,

      I thought the location of eyes was very interesting. I never thought that location of eyes would influence our eating habits. This point was surprising and interesting to me.

      good job!

      Delete
  6. I think human beings were naturally herbivores, but they have evolved into omnivores. Our bories don't have hunting skill enough to catch animals. Then,we can't digest raw meats and dead flesh.However some weapons enabled us to catch animals and the fire enabled us to eat it,so I think human came to eat animals with the progress of civilization.

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    1. Haruka,

      Great points. Yes, we have definitely evolved. We now can catch our own food. Furthermore, we can grow our own animals now, too. We can genetically alter them, too. Humans and eating have come a long way. ;)

      Delete
    2. I agree with you.At first,people didn't have the hunting skill and body structure to be suitable to eat meats,but as you say, people made tools let them could catch animals,and peoples' body structure maybe changed a lot for suit to eat meats.Human are really miraculous!

      Delete
  7. I think human beings are naturally omnivores too.Because human have incisors,canine teeth,molars and premolars.Herbivores use incisors,molars and premolars.Carnivores use incisors and canine teeth,so I think human beings are omnivores.

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    Replies
    1. I agree with you. Human have teeth like herbivores and carnivores but I think jaw's motion relate to it. human can move jaw not only up and down but right and left. I think it helps mash vegetables and crunch meat.

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    2. (typed by Huskey from Kazane's paper)

      I agree your opinion. We have canine teeth (to eat meats) and molar teeth (to eat vegetables). I think it's mean human is essentially omnivorous. We can't eat raw and go bad meat because our stomach was retrogressed in use fire and decreased a sort of enzyme which lived in our stomach, i think.

      Delete
  8. I think human beings are naturally omnivores.Because human have flat teeth and sharp teeth,so human beings can crunch both meat and vegetables.In addition,we can take them in our bodies as nourishment because digestion time is long.

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  9. (typed from Shiori's paper by Huskey)

    I thought human beings naturally omnivores because we have flat teeth and sharp teeth. We can eat vegetables with flat teeth and we can eat meats with sharp teeth. It is too good if we don't use our two types teeth.

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    1. I agree with you.humanbeings naturally have both of the teeth,so maybe it is why we eat meat naturally.I think the teeth we have can be the evidence that humanbeings used to eat meat.

      Delete
  10. (typed from Kenya's paper by Huskey)

    I think human being naturally are omnivores. Because they have teeth like herbivores and carnivores. And also, then, they might not have their chances to choose food. They had to eat anything they can eat to live. That's why I think they are omnivores.

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  11. This is what I find in the internet.This is a Talking place about scientific topics.I am sorry it is all in chinese,but if you want to know the meanings of some words or sentences,you can ask me anytime!

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    1. Kari

      Thank you. It is OK that it is in Chinese. We should always post our sources when debating or discussing. There are other people in our class that can read Chinese, so it can be useful for them. ;)

      Delete
  12. http://songshuhui.net/forum/viewthread.php?tid=3235

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  13. In my opinion, human beings should be omnivores because their body structures fit on omnivores.

    I watched the TV program about very old sisters(they are around 100years old). The older sister eats only meat because she loves it. I thought carnivores can't be 100 years old because it is unhealthy.So I thought she was super woman. BUT her diet fits human bodies. She kept a well-balamced diet when she was young And she became carnivores when she is 90 years(maybe).
    According to the TV program, eating too much meat is good for old people. It helps them to take in protect.

    On the other hand, I think young people should eat both meat and vegetables. Because they have to study and work hardly! They always need power. if they only eat vegetables,they have not enough power. I think people should keep a well-blamced diet when they are young.

    According to the example, i think people should be omnivores and follow their body structures.
    We have to keep well-blaced diet when we are young. And be older and older. Then we should eat so much meat with some vegetable of cource!

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    1. 7,

      Very interesting TV program. I have met many older people who smoke, drink alcohol, and eat meat but live to be 90 years old or more. It is amazing to me because doctors say that these things are not good. However, I always noticed that these people also have a natural "happiness" about themselves. Sometimes I think happiness is one way to live longer. What do you think?

      It is also interesting, when someone gets cancer in the intestines, doctors usually recommend that they stop eating red meat (pork & beef). Hmmm... i wonder if there is a connection?

      maybe we all should research some more!!

      Delete
    2. (typed by Huskey from Kazane's paper)

      I was watched TV program too. I think we (teenager) have to eat well-balanced and much protein, but we have individual constitution, we eat meat very much. Even so, we can't live a long life all people.

      Delete
  14. (typed from Sayaka M.'s paper by Huskey)

    I searched some good points and bad points.

    First of all, vegetarian wants to stop murder that means stopping killing animals.

    Second, they want to help with world hunger.

    Third, being a vegetarian can mean a diet of less fat and less chemicals.

    Now, I'll tell you some bad points.

    First, vegetarianism is unbalanced and damaging to the body.

    Second, it's not good for environment, vegetarianism would break natural food-chain.

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  15. Do you know Internal Vegetarian Society(IVS)? This is a nonprofit organization for vegetarians. Japan is a member of it(Japan Vegetarian Society). It holds festivals, lectures etc.
    I did not know it.
    This is the URL. This page has both Japanese page and English page.
    http://www.jpvs.org/Eng/ep1/index-eng.html

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    1. Miyuu,

      Wow... very interesting!! Thank you for sharing it with us. Did you know that Oli is a vegetarian? I will show him the page. Great job!!

      Delete
  16. (typed from Miyu's paper by Huskey)

    I don't want to be a vegetarian, because I think vegetables also have life like animal. Everything we eat have life so I don't think "poor" with food material, but I always give thanks to food materials and people who process food material. (so I think "itadakimasu" is very important word!)

    I know meet which I eat killed by people or machine cruel treatment. It is true, but I want to eat meet. So I don't want to be a vegetarian.

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  17. I think human being are naturally omnivores because we have both teeth vegetarian and cranivores. However in my case I can't eat meat with bone so I think my teeth is closer than vegetarian. People who have sharp double tooth are closer than cranivores. Because they can eat meat easier than like me. Saying other words, human are usually omnivore but it depend on the people.

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  18. (typed by Huskey from Yukaku's paper)

    Vegetarianism (this idea) is not bad. It is good for the nature to protect animal and to eat more vegetables is too good to maintain our health.

    But, meat is so delicious. Beef, pork, and chicken are very very delicious. Vegetarian people are suffer a loss. If I will be vegetarian people, i can endure a life without meat only 1 week.

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  19. (typed by Huskey from Mocha's paper)

    I think human beings are naturally omnivores, because they have flat teeth and sharp teeth. Human is make so. Moreover, human have reason, knowledge so they know how to eat all things delicious. Animals are not make so.

    Herbivores have flat teeth. Carnivores have sharp teeth. Omnivores have flat teeth and sharp teeth and human have reason.

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