# How did humans learn what to eat? (as in what was edible) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 17, 2011, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-humans-learn-what-to-eat-as-in-what-was-edible/593002 "2011-08-17T06:54:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-humans-learn-what-to-eat-as-in-what-was-edible/593002/41 "2011-08-18T17:43:58Z")
The only thing I want to add is the old joke of pointing at a cow and saying “What I want to know is this: Who was the first guy to look at that animal and say, hmm, I think I’ll squeeze those dangly things and drink whatever comes out of 'em?” ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-humans-learn-what-to-eat-as-in-what-was-edible/593002/42 "2011-08-18T17:50:27Z")
> [@Zeriel](#): > > Who was the first guy to look at that animal and say, hmm, I think I’ll squeeze those dangly things and drink whatever comes out of 'em?" It’s a good thing we didn’t all quadruple in size. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-humans-learn-what-to-eat-as-in-what-was-edible/593002/43 "2011-08-18T17:53:27Z")
> [@kimera](#): > > Amongst the adventurers, there is a capuchin named Gadget who is famous for discovering all sorts of new foods, including those discarded by humans. How or why he decides to eat certain things is beyond us, but others express interest in him when he eats something new. Even the alpha male will come over and watch him eat something unknown, but potentially tasty. The capuchins sometimes eat food that is quite nasty if you don’t process it correctly. It’s always amusing to watch a baby grab a solana fruit and bite into it, only to express horror at finding hundreds of tiny, sharp hairs sticking in their mouth. I imagine at some point in the past, a monkey like Gadget figured out the trick and his group survived whilst others didn’t. These brave food explorers probably pushed the limits of our human diet. They watch him eat it first? [You should’ve named him Mikey](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYEXzx-TINc). > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Pretty sure my example of the shark in post #18 or cassava mentioned here were obviously deliberative attempts by modern humans to eat a certain food. > > Who the hell kills a shark, eats some, gets sick, decides to bury it then dig it up at random times to see if it is “better” but keeps getting sick so buries it again then digs it up after several weeks then hangs it up to dry for several months then tries it again and pukes again but decides it is edible, just tastes and smells awful? How about something like: shark washes ashore and gets buried in snow, or underground. In the middle of a famine guy eats it because he has nothing else. It doesn’t kill him. The next part is hazy, but say that in less lean times, they’re all drinking Ákavíti and start to dare each other. The same guy brings up that he ate a rotten shark, and it was disgusting but wholesome. Or maybe he actually did like it, but that’s not very plausible. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I imagine someone eating pufferfish (fugu) learned the hard way. I would guess some was eaten with no trouble then someone inadvertently nicked the sack with the poison in it (or ate it) and died in short order. Nitpick: I don’t think they have a sac. Parts of the fugu have the toxin in varying concentrations. The weaker concentration parts will cause numbness in the lips (considered a good thing). The liver, ovaries and neighboring internal organs are the ones you especially want to avoid. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-humans-learn-what-to-eat-as-in-what-was-edible/593002/44 "2011-08-18T18:06:45Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Nitpick: I don’t think they have a sac. Parts of the fugu have the toxin in varying concentrations. The weaker concentration parts will cause numbness in the lips (considered a good thing). The liver, ovaries and neighboring internal organs are the ones you especially want to avoid. I had it before… there’s slight bitter taste but kinda savory too. It’s the thrill eat thing. Once I took some leftover fried pufferfish chunks in a carry out box back to my hotel room and left it in the refrigerator. I ate some in the wee hours after I got back from drinking… I hurled pretty much immediately… didn’t taste quite right cold and when pufferfish doesn’t taste good in your mouth it’s not a good feeling. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-humans-learn-what-to-eat-as-in-what-was-edible/593002/45 "2011-08-18T18:32:16Z")
Oh, also the owner of the pufferfish restaurant told us that a lone young widow in his old neighborhood who went insane, after she lost her young son, used to pick the neighborhood trashes for food/fish bit etc to cook with. He said one day she unknowingly ate some pufferfish bits that someone threw out after cleaning them and was found dead. Sad. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-humans-learn-what-to-eat-as-in-what-was-edible/593002/46 "2011-08-18T22:45:46Z")
I wanna know who figured out the first artichoke! Thank you, adventuresome ancestor! (also thanks for coffee and chocolate!) ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-humans-learn-what-to-eat-as-in-what-was-edible/593002/47 "2011-08-19T07:41:12Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > How about something like: shark washes ashore and gets buried in snow, or underground. In the middle of a famine guy eats it because he has nothing else. It doesn’t kill him. The next part is hazy, but say that in less lean times, they’re all drinking Ákavíti and start to dare each other. The same guy brings up that he ate a rotten shark, and it was disgusting but wholesome. Or maybe he actually did like it, but that’s not very plausible I suspect something like that, but rather than drunken bravado, driven by a choice of eating it or starving to death. ---
**Author:** ![BillJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@BillJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BillJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-humans-learn-what-to-eat-as-in-what-was-edible/593002/48 "2011-08-19T08:41:25Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > … or chillies, for example, taste absolutely foul… Oh man. I really have to jump in here and defend my beloved, delicious chillies. But seriously, an important thing to remember is that just like every other part of human evolution, there is no single reason or answer. The fact that those with a taste for particularly bad food die quicker is almost certainly one of the answers. However this assumes that the bad food kills them before they reproduce and pass on the genes for loving bad stuff. Also this would not even come close to incorporating all of the possible food stuff in the world. The immediately accessible environment of our ancient evolving ancestors was obviously much more limited than todays world where almost anything can be made available, and it was different for those in different parts of the world. The social aspects mentioned also probably played a role as we became more intelligent and could reasonably take advice from others and pass on traditions to other generations. Some of it however is a great mystery. How do so many relatively unintelligent animals, insects etc. just seem to “know” to do the things they do for survival, even when taken from others of their kind at birth? Much of it is hardwired, some of it is taught (potentially becoming hardwired from teaching through generations), and most of it is unknown. ---
**Author:** ![BillJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@BillJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BillJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-humans-learn-what-to-eat-as-in-what-was-edible/593002/49 "2011-08-19T08:48:46Z")
There will also always be exceptions to the rules, those who wander out and do stupid things despite all of the hardwired tendencies not to, and ignoring all of the social clues and advice. As long as these exceptions are few enough not to destroy the species, but plenty enough to be able to stumble upon an occasional something that benefits everyone else, we’re in good shape. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-humans-learn-what-to-eat-as-in-what-was-edible/593002/50 "2011-08-19T09:39:58Z")
> [@BillJJ](#): > > The fact that those with a taste for particularly bad food die quicker is almost certainly one of the answers. It almost certainly isn’t for reasons that have been explained in depth several times in this thread by numerous posters. The idea doesn’t even make any sense. > [@](#): > > The social aspects mentioned also probably played a role as we became more intelligent and could reasonably take advice from others and pass on traditions to other generations. You didn’t actually read the thread before posting, did you? > [@](#): > > Some of it however is a great mystery. How do so many relatively unintelligent animals, insects etc. just seem to “know” to do the things they do for survival, even when taken from others of their kind at birth? Much of it is hardwired, some of it is taught (potentially becoming hardwired from teaching through generations), and most of it is unknown. Nonsense. There is no mystery. None of it is unknown that I am aware of. Almost any species of animal you care to name will eat poisonous foods on a regular basis. The inability to distinguish between toxic and non-toxic food is one of the major reasons why several species are on the road to extinction. Far from having mysterious senses, the only way to save these species is to remove them from the poisonous food, lest every last one kill themselves. ---
**Author:** ![BillJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@BillJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BillJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-humans-learn-what-to-eat-as-in-what-was-edible/593002/51 "2011-08-19T11:49:30Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > It almost certainly isn’t for reasons that have been explained in depth several times in this thread by numerous posters. The idea doesn’t even make any sense.. Well, it actually does make sense. It wasn’t discussed in depth, more like briefly mentioned. But my point was that it’s not the only thing to take into consideration, and most certainly isn’t the only part of the equation. > [@](#): > > You didn’t actually read the thread before posting, did you? I did. By “social aspects” I meant everything discussed that doesn’t include a biologically induced liking, urge, or tendency. Things that we can obviously do now, and so can other animals to a much lesser extent. > [@](#): > > Nonsense. There is no mystery. None of it is unknown that I am aware of. An amazing amount of it is unknown. Not only about this but about most of human, and animal behavior. > [@](#): > > Almost any species of animal you care to name will eat poisonous foods on a regular basis. The inability to distinguish between toxic and non-toxic food is one of the major reasons why several species are on the road to extinction. Far from having mysterious senses, the only way to save these species is to remove them from the poisonous food, lest every last one kill themselves. I see. I guess that’s why so much life has flourished on earth, because we’ve always been here to protect every animal from it’s own stupidity. Animals do evolve a tendency toward or away from certain foods. Not only because they are toxic or because they cause immediate death, but because they cause other more subtle positive or negative affects. Those who eat beneficial food can experience any number of benefits that can positively select for a tendency toward that food. More energy for hunting or fighting. Foods that promote more muscle growth or that provide more nourishment for the brain. Healthier offspring while nurturing. More offspring. Increased vigor while competing for mating success. Increased immune response. The list goes on and on. The exact same reasoning is true in the opposite direction for food with a negative affect, causing selection against a taste for particular food. The truth of food choice isn’t all or nothing, either it kills you or it doesn’t. However food that does kill you would play a role in this same equation. You even alluded to this here… > [@](#): > > Animals that are experienced in an area will know which things are poisonous, presumably form experience, but animals introduced have a much, much higher rate of poisoning. This isn’t only because the animals are “experienced,” or because they cautiously tasted different foods in small quantities, but because the indigenous habitat is where they spent a great deal of time co-evolving with everything else in that habitat. The evolution of these tastes doesn’t happen quickly, or these animals could just teach themselves in a few generations and there wouldn’t be a problem. An intrinsic biological leaning must also be at play. > [@](#): > > Which is the most likely answer to the OP. People encountering a new potential food source would sample it in small quantities. If it failed to have any unpleasant effects the dose would be increased and the food eventually proven harmless. Of course we have that ability to reasonably learn from our own experience (gradually tasting things), or from others and to pass this knowledge through generations or even within the same generation. But clearly humans haven’t always been so smart, and something else must have accounted for proper food selection in more ancient times. In your other quote above you even mention that animals are too stupid to do this and die if they are not removed from the damaging food source. > [@](#): > > One important point to remember is that there was never any reason to eat unknown foods in large amounts. Humans migrated slowly into new habitats, or plants spread slowly into theirs. The traditional and well-known foods would still have been available when any new food was encountered, so there was no need to eat large amounts of any new food. Not always. There is considerable evidence that the climate of eastern Africa changed dramatically and rapidly several times. Possibly contributing to the success of human ancestors with more advanced reasoning capabilities than other coexisting hominids which obviously didn’t make it. The ability to quickly adapt to the fast changing climate, which includes changing food source, was likely critical in human evolution. But still, my point is not that any of the reasons proposed in the thread are wrong. Just that it’s an extremely complex equation with lots of unknowns and mysteries, and no single answer that can stand up by itself alone. And I still love my chillies, which is what prompted me to post in this thread in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-humans-learn-what-to-eat-as-in-what-was-edible/593002/52 "2011-08-19T13:12:27Z")
I think it’s sheer volumes are at work here as far as survival of individual species are concerned; the ones at outer fringe, frontline, the first ones to encounter new potential food matters are the laboratory mouses for the species (whatever scenarios and whatever times needed to be repeated for the rest to learn from them and pass on the knowledge). Therefore, as I have stated before, we should honor these “unknown” souls regardless of whether they were starving to death and had to eat or possibly drunk out of their minds from eating some rotten fruit when they consume the particular matter for the first time. **BillJJ**. Btw, “defend my beloved, delicious chillies”, I love that. May I save that in my list of cool phrases for future use? ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-humans-learn-what-to-eat-as-in-what-was-edible/593002/53 "2011-08-19T13:25:33Z")
My mother once took a class in herbal medicine from a Native American herbalist. She said the herbalist offered the following procedure for testing an unfamiliar plant: 1. Touch it to your tongue. Wait 20 minutes. If nothing happens, then 2. Let it sit in your mouth for 20 minutes. If nothing happens, then 3. Chew it . Wait 20 minutes. If you die, then it is poisonous. If not, it is edible. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-humans-learn-what-to-eat-as-in-what-was-edible/593002.md?page=2)