Cannibalism is bad, right? Well, zoologist Bill Schutt says there are examples of it throughout the animal kingdom, and that it's perfectly natural.
Scientists have long regarded cannibalism as a bizarre phenomenon with little biological significance. In Western culture, it’s regarded as the ultimate taboo, the subject of horror movies or sensational tales of real-life flesh-eaters. But the true nature of cannibalism, says zoologist Bill Schutt, is even more intriguing, and more normal, than the misconceptions we often accept as fact. Schutt has written about the natural and cultural history of cannibalism, and he joins us to talk about it. (Rebroadcast)
Bill Schutt is a vertebrate zoologist, author, college professor, and a research associate in residence at the American Museum of Natural History. His book is called Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History [Independent booksellers|Amazon|Audible]
