Alcohol saves humanity from extinction

Not only are humans made up, but even other primates such as gorillas and chimpanzees can convert ethanol, the basic chemical compound that makes up alcohol.

Scientific research indicates that this ability to metabolize alcohol may have saved prehistoric apes from extinction.

10 million years ago, during evolution, human ancestors brought in themselves a protein capable of increasing the efficiency of alcohol absorption and metabolism.

A recently released book, Alcohol And Humans: A Long And Social Affair, is written by Dr. Kim Hockings and Dr. Robin Dunbar. This makes them able to fight the war of survival with other monkeys.

The process of absorbing and metabolizing wine from fruits is part of the reason for saving apes from extinction.(Image: Christopher Whittier / Insider)

By eating ripe and fermented fruits that fall to the ground, monkeys and some other species can survive, while extinct species are unable to tolerate the amount of alcohol in fruits. The author writes in his book that these natural caloric sources will probably become the reason for some primates on the brink of extinction.

Dr. Hockings, senior lecturer in conservation sciences at the University of Exeter, said: ' Even today we see species of primate eating fermented fruit and drinking fermented coconut-based wine. producers, but it is difficult to say why they do so, and this reflects a complex historical process of our relationship with alcohol. An interesting point is the alcohol content from the fruits falling from 1-4%, equivalent to light beer. The amount of alcohol consumed by humans today exceeds that figure. '

The two authors also add in their book that today's alcoholism is not only a medical problem but also a part of human society from ancient times to the present.

Dr Dunbar, a professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford, said: 'Through culture and different periods, alcohol is considered a big part of the species' social approach. people together. In addition, alcohol is considered a medical problem, but alcohol abuse is only a small part of the wider social form of alcohol use '.