Animals don’t have poison in their meat because they run away or fight instead of making chemicals to protect themselves.
Scientific Claim
Animals do not produce phytochemical-like defensive toxins because their primary defense mechanisms are physical (e.g., speed, strength, biting), not chemical.
Original Statement
“Humans have also always eaten meat, and our bodies are built to digest it perfectly. Plus, since animals defend themselves through physical means, not chemical ones, they don't contain natural defense toxins like plants do.”
Context Details
Domain
evolutionary_biology
Population
unspecified
Subject
Animals
Action
do not produce
Target
chemical defense toxins due to reliance on physical defenses
Intervention Details
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (2)
Spiders make poisonous chemicals in their venom to protect themselves and catch food, which means animals don't just rely on speed or biting—they also use chemical weapons, just like plants do.
Technical explanation
This paper directly demonstrates that spiders—animals—produce complex peptide toxins as a chemical defense mechanism, contradicting the assertion that animals rely solely on physical defenses. It shows that venom contains bioactive chemical compounds used for predation and defense, proving animals can and do produce toxin-like substances analogous to phytochemicals.
Baby toads have poison in their skin that keeps predators away—even when no danger is around—proving animals can make their own chemical defenses like plants do.
Technical explanation
This study shows that toad tadpoles produce bufadienolide toxins as a chemical defense against predators, independent of predator cues. This directly contradicts the assertion that animals lack chemical defenses, proving that some animals produce persistent, bioactive chemical toxins as a primary defense strategy.