evidence: We are told by many people, including doctors and other apparent experts, that animal products are essential to a healthy diet. This advice reflects the majority view that humans are fundamentally omnivorous. Still, the debate over what is normal or natural for our species will not die. On the one side, you have people who believe we evolved to eat a diet with substantial proportions of meat, including paleo dieters and devoted carnivores, but also many individuals consuming a standard American diet who implicitly buy into the importance of meat; on the other hand, many vegans insist that humans are not even natural omnivores. [...] Anatomically, we have far more in common with herbivores than carnivores. Our mouth openings are smaller and our jaws allow for side-to-side and front-to-back movements ideal for grinding. Our canines are short and blunt, and our front teeth are flat. Our flat molars, like the rest of our teeth and jaw structure, are ideal for eating plants, not tearing flesh. Our salivary amylase activity is high, reflecting an ability to digest starchy foods that many carnivores completely lack.[3] Our small intestines are longer than carnivores’ small intestines, and our stomach capacities are smaller than carnivores’ stomach capacities. Our closest primate relatives consume overwhelmingly herbivorous diets.