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Originally Posted by BigBen
Although I am not a professor of linguistics, I have to take exception to the statements claiming that humans are Carnivores;
Carnivores are animals that eat meat exclusively (think lions, hyenas)
Herbivores are animals that eat vegetables exclusively (think cows and rabbits)
Omnivores eat a diet that consists of both meat and vegetables (think bears, humans)
Just saying.
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BigBen - You're falling into the common trap of assuming the three phenotypes (carnivore, herbivore and omnivore) are exclusive. The reality is quite the opposite; a carnivore is a creature that eats flesh. An herbivore is a creature that eats plant. An omnivore is a creature whose diet consists of both; therefore, an omnivore may be defined as both a carnivore and an herbivore. However, the distinction that is commonly accepted is that a carnivore is a creature that eats exclusively meat; this is why I used the derivative adjective (carnivorous) and not the noun. I don't know any better way to describe man's meat eating tendencies (and physiological dependence on such) than as carnivorous. That we are also herbivorous does not nullify the fact.
And I have no problem accepting the idea that most people who eat meat have never been part of the killing process. So yeah, the results are a bit skewed. I find it a bit hard to swallow that 97% of the world's (or even North America's) population are fish and game enthusiasts.