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@**caution**opinion_ahead wrote:

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@malacandran wrote:

 Humans are probably more evolved towards a vegetarian diet.  

 

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It's probable that we have evolved to the species we are because we moved away from a vegetarian diet.  Animal flesh provides denser, higher quality nutrition, so the brain gained complexity that it may well not have done if we had stayed on a plant-based diet, especially given that many plants are seasonal, so some nutrients were only available for part of the yr, whereas meat can provide a continuous supply.

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That's a very valuable point you make, **caution**, about the "seasonal" aspect.  I hadn't thought about that before. 

But now that you've drawn attention to it, I can see what you mean.

Suppose humans relied on eating plants and vegetables. Then we'd be at our best, and efficiently nourished, during the seasons when vegetables are most available. Which means during the Spring, Summer, and Autumn.

During these seasons our brains would be well-fed.  And we could do our marvellous brain-led human activities, such as making stone-tools, inventing painting, writing, and culture generally.  But what would happen in Winter,  when the supply of vegetational food diminished almost to zero?   Then we'd be screwed.  Reduced to the plight of modern vegetarian garden-birds, who pathetically scrounge for hand-out seeds and breadcrumbs.

The fact that we haven't been brought so low, must be because we adopted an at least partial meat-diet.

As you say, meat is in continuous supply. That's its distinguishing factor.   It's not dependent on the seasons.  Even in Winter, there are many animals running about, which we can catch, and eat their flesh. To nourish our bodies, and reinforce our brains.