jmcquown wrote:
> But what made that first brave soul pluck a mushroom from the ground and eat
> it? So many nightshades are deadly. What wild critters were they watching
> to determine this one was okay and that one wasn't?

Re-examine this question with the proviso "who hasn't had a decent meal
in four months" and see if an explanation pops up. =)

Our way-distant ancestors did not have supermarkets - food was a chancy
business.

In truth, I expect most foods are not discovered by watching animals,
but by virtue of the fact that our non-intelligent ancestors died
from eating the wrong foods and left no descendents, and our more
intelligent ancestors learned from mommy and daddy what to eat and
what not to. As for how the transition occurred - I leave that as
an exercise. =)

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