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Cannibalism is the act of consuming a member of your own species. While it may repulse many people, it’s actually a common occurrence in the animal kingdom. There are various reasons for cannibalism, such as religious rituals, serial killings, or extreme hunger in the case of humans. Many animals, without hesitation, engage in cannibalism. Surprisingly, creatures like hippos, certain types of bears, salamanders, worms, and many other species have been known to occasionally eat their own kind.
Although animals engage in cannibalism, we often think of ourselves as distinct from them—until a completely deranged individual shows us that, in certain extreme circumstances, humans too can become cannibals. Could it be that, when pushed to the brink, any human might resort to cannibalism? Throughout history, the human race has faced immense pressure, sometimes leading to acts of cannibalism. Today, modern science has provided us with new insights, shedding light on how this dark practice has intertwined with human history. Below are ten key facts about human cannibalism that science has uncovered so far.
10. Early Humans
Based on current scientific and anthropological findings, we can confidently assert that cannibalism has been a part of human existence since the earliest days. Evidence from bite marks, cuts, and tool traces shows that early humans occasionally resorted to cannibalism, consuming their friends, family members, and fellow tribe members.
Cannibalism in prehistoric times wasn’t solely a result of food scarcity. Numerous instances of prehistoric cannibalism have been linked to homicide and tribal warfare. In fact, archaeological discoveries worldwide confirm that early humans were often violent, murderous, and, unsurprisingly, cannibalistic—even when food was plentiful.
9. Neanderthals
Neanderthals also engaged in cannibalism, much like humans did. Excavations of burial sites have provided evidence that Neanderthals would kill, dismember, and consume each other. This is evidenced by the discovery of tools, though primitive, used for making straight cuts in bone—tools not typically associated with combat, which would usually result in blunt force trauma. Additionally, some bones exhibit damage that doesn't match the patterns of animal attacks, which generally don’t produce clean cuts.
At a site in Krapina, Croatia, archaeologists uncovered fragmented remains of several Neanderthals. Along with the evidence already mentioned, the bones found at Krapina show signs of burning, which some scientists have interpreted as clear proof of cannibalistic activity.
8. Nature's Role
Despite the revulsion we might feel at the thought of consuming human flesh, the truth is that cannibalism is surprisingly prevalent among animals and, in a way, is a natural part of the behavior of living organisms—humans included. Though rare among humans, cannibalism is ingrained in the darker aspects of human nature. As previously mentioned, the act of humans eating other humans has occurred throughout history across the globe.
Cannibalism appears to be an instinctive trait, one that can be triggered by specific environmental conditions. The 1972 crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 serves as a tragic example, showing that even modern humans, who are typically repulsed by cannibalism and may hold strong religious objections, will resort to eating each other when trapped in freezing, desperate circumstances with no chance of rescue.
7. Kuru
Kuru is a devastating prion disease that attacks the human brain, and it has a somewhat ironic twist of fate. The disease was particularly widespread among the Fore people in New Guinea during the 1950s and 1960s. The word 'Kuru' comes from the Fore language, meaning 'to shiver' or 'trembling in fear.' Kuru causes a progressive loss of motor control, making basic physical movements increasingly difficult, and it is typically fatal within a year of contraction.
In a grim turn of events, victims of kuru eventually succumb to dementia as the prion in the consumed brain tissue infects the brain of the consumer. Kuru is a slow and horrific disease, so if you’re thinking about indulging in cannibalism, particularly eating human brains, let this serve as a cautionary tale: consuming human flesh can expose you to deadly pathogens that may lead to your death within a year.
6. Prion Diseases
Kuru is just one of many prion diseases, a category of diseases that cause severe brain damage through neurodegeneration and a general breakdown of brain function. Prion diseases that affect humans include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome, fatal familial insomnia, and, of course, kuru. A well-known prion disease in animals is “mad cow disease.”
These diseases occur when an animal is infected with prions, a type of protein that is highly destructive, though not entirely understood. What is clear is that cannibalism is a risk factor for prion diseases. It is believed that early humans suffered from widespread prion epidemics, as cannibalism was more common in prehistoric times for various reasons. Consuming human flesh only led to more dead humans to eat.
5. Resistance
However, it’s not all doom and gloom for the Fore people of New Guinea. Through decades of research, scientists have found evidence suggesting that over time, immunity to prion diseases has developed, making those who engage in cannibalism less susceptible to these diseases.
Specifically, individuals who survived after eating human flesh carry a genetic mutation known as V127. Those with this mutation were able to survive the kuru epidemic, and it appears to offer resistance to other prion diseases as well. To test this, scientists bred mice with the V127 mutation, and those mice were also found to be resistant to several prion diseases.
4. Necessity?
Research on cannibalism presents conflicting opinions on whether it was motivated by necessity or other causes. One suggestion is that the notorious Aztec human sacrifices might have been driven by more than just ritualistic purposes—they could have also served as an ecological necessity. As populations rapidly grew, the need for nutrition may have contributed to the rise of both human sacrifice and cannibalism.
However, this remains a speculative theory. From what we know, the Aztecs primarily carried out human sacrifices during harvest times, likely as offerings to the gods, rather than in times of famine. Moreover, the nutritional benefits of consuming human flesh would have been minimal.
3. Humans in the Lab
If you thought cannibalism was something of the distant past, reserved for those desperately starving or considered barbaric by ancient standards, think again. In a recent tweet, well-known evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins posed a thought-provoking question: 'What if human meat could be grown? Could we overcome the societal taboo against cannibalism?' He included a link to an article discussing lab-grown meat, also referred to as in vitro meat or clean meat.
Clearly, lab-grown meat eliminates the need for animal death, requiring only a few stem cells from a living being. This same method could theoretically be used to grow human meat. So, for those interested in cannibalism, modern science may eventually allow for this in a way that doesn't harm anyone. However, it's doubtful that there would be a large demand for lab-grown human meat, although certain individuals, such as performance artists, might still be intrigued enough to try it.
2. Human Calories
Not all meats are created equal when it comes to calories. While some are more calorie-rich than others, human flesh still offers a considerable amount of energy. For instance, the human brain holds about 2,700 calories, while an upper arm contains around 7,400 calories. In total, a full-grown male human body provides approximately 125,800 calories.
However, when it comes to raw survival energy, human meat isn’t the most efficient option compared to other animals with denser muscle mass. For comparison, a woolly rhinoceros offers a staggering 1,260,000 calories, and a mammoth delivers around 3,600,000 calories. If you're looking for meat to survive in the wild, choosing a larger animal is an obvious decision.
1. Digestion
Historically, consuming human flesh, apart from any spiritual or emotional meanings attributed to the practice, has been similar to eating other animals in terms of digestion. While human meat contains fats, oils, and proteins found in other meats, it is, unfortunately, not very nutritious, especially when compared to other types of meat.
Although modern ethical standards and medical practices prevent experiments on cooked human flesh, we understand the composition of the human body well enough to estimate its caloric value. Human muscle provides only about 1,300 calories per kilogram. In comparison, animals like bears and boars offer up to 4,000 calories, making human meat a rather inefficient source of energy.
