The cannibalistic practice helped the Fore tribe develop genetic resistance to a mad cow-like disease.
It is commonly accepted as fact among biologists that the eating of meat led to our human ancestors developing bigger brains. Protein builds a body, and in this instance it built brains in particular, as brains—smarts—were, more and more, what burgeoning humans were in need of, as determined by environmental pressures and the process of evolution.
My grandparents used to eat brains. Squirrel brains, that is. They scrambled them in with eggs. They said they were tasty. I could never force myself to partake, though. Still can’t. I think of that scene at the end of HANNIBAL, with Anthony Hopkins and Ray Liotta. Gross. No brains for me.
It might serve me well if I COULD bring myself to scarf some brains, though. Human brains. Cannibalism may have formerly been linked to the development of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or “Mad Cow Disease” among animals and people (It is not necessary to consume another person to catch BSE, only to eat a cow that has eaten another cow and thus become infected) but now the findings seem to have flip-flopped. The consuming of human brains—by other humans—seems to have some health BENEFITS. Umm, anybody got any eggs?