Food taboos induce meat sharing without anyone understanding they do so.

Evidence

These taboos virtually guaranteed that large prey had to be widely distributed across the band. Here the hunter himself could only eat the ribs and one shoulder blade; the rest of the animal was taboo for him. The hunter’s wife received the meat and fat around the animal’s hindquarters, which she had to cook openly and share with other women (only). Taboos prohibited young males from eating anything except for the abdominal walls, kidneys, and genitals. Violations of any of these taboos were believed to result in the failure of future hunts. Such beliefs create collective interests in making sure that other members of the band don’t violate the taboos: since your violations will result in hunting failures that will reduce my meat intake, I’m going to make sure you don’t violate any taboos. Thus, everyone in the band (believes) they have direct and personal incentives to monitor and sanction taboo violators. — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success, 515

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Cultural evolution sustains costly norms that help neither the group nor the individual. — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success: How Culture…, 475; Diffusing meat ownership reduces self-serving bias in distribution. — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success: How Culture…, 514; Religious dietary law requires trusting unknown co-religionists for food preparation — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 900 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Religious dietary law requires trusting unknown co-religionists for food preparation #expands (0.82) — Roderick M. Kramer, Geoffrey J. Leonardelli, Robert W. Livingston, Social Cognition, Social Identity, and…, 900