Richard Geller wrote:


> What about parasites? So much of evolution can be viewed as an arms race
> against parasites. Cooking could be a cultural adaptation to fight
> parasites.

Sure, no doubt it gave humans some advantage over other predators, but
I think the ability to use more of the animal was a bigger drive.
Lions leave a lot to the hyenas and jackels just because they are not
adapted to getting the smaller bits, and mice gnaw the smallest
leavings. Humans got all of that once they started boiling, leaving
nothing but dry bones.

Predators do not usually seem to suffer much from parasites, but there
must be some effect. Cooking omnivores like pigs wpould have been the
biggest advantage, we share a lot of diseases with pigs.