Lesser Beasts Summary

"Everything is better with bacon," the saying goes, but the humble pig's story isn't just about food—it's about history, culture, and a species intertwined with humanity's progress.

1. Pigs and Humans Share Surprising Similarities

Pigs and humans have similar biological traits, reflecting a long-shared evolutionary history. Both are omnivores with comparable digestive systems: our stomachs break down proteins, small intestines absorb sugar, and colons extract water. These adaptations made pigs a useful companion for early humans.

Our similarities extend to teeth. In 1922, a fossil tooth misidentified as belonging to a human ancestor actually came from an ancient pig-like creature. This overlap hints at our intertwined evolutionary paths. Historically, pigs were among the first species brought into human settlements in 10,000 BC, cementing their role as companions.

Archaeological findings at Hallan Cemi, Turkey, reveal that early settlements relied heavily on pigs, not just for food but also as waste disposers. The pigs' ability to consume leftovers enabled long-term habitation of villages, creating permanence in early communities.

Examples

• Like humans, pigs can eat a varied diet, from grains to meat.
• The Nebraska Man tooth mix-up demonstrates anatomical overlaps between pigs and humans.
• Early settlements' reliance on pigs for waste cleanup highlights their environmental role.

2. Why Some Cultures Avoid Pork

For centuries, some societies rejected pigs due to cultural, religious, and practical reasons. In the Middle East, the dry climate and long travels were unsuitable for pigs, making other livestock more valued. Religious leaders later added prohibitions that amplified this avoidance.

Bureaucrats, elites, and clergy favored foods like beef and lamb, which required greater wealth. In contrast, pigs—cheap, self-sufficient scavengers—lived on waste, further associating them with the impoverished. Their diet, including indiscriminate items like decaying matter, became a point of disgust.

Cultural taboos solidified when Jewish law banned pork in the Torah, influencing Islamic dietary laws. This aversion left millions of people worldwide avoiding pork, cementing pigs' lower status in vast swaths of society.

Examples

• Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia found pigs impractical for arid climates.
• Jewish dietary law prohibited pork, influencing Islamic practices.
• Pigs’ association with scavenging, including eating human waste, shaped enduring taboos.

3. Pigs in Ancient Greece and Rome

In the ancient worlds of Greece and Rome, pigs were redeemed and honored, particularly for their meat. Greek physician Hippocrates asserted that pork was the finest meat, and pork dishes became essential in Greco-Roman diets.

Alexander the Great’s successors imposed Greek customs in conquered regions, including pork consumption. The second book of Maccabees recounts the execution of Jewish scribe Eleazar for refusing to eat pork as part of Greek cultural eradication. Romans embraced pork even further, with Latin reflecting this admiration in specialized terms for every pork product and seller.

In Rome, pork was part of essential provisions to maintain public morale. Initiatives like Emperor Aurelian’s inclusion of free pork in the Bread and Circuses policy ensured its prevalence in Rome’s diet and trade networks.

Examples

• Hippocrates called pork the highest-quality meat.
• Rome’s "Bread and Circuses" programs made pork a staple among citizens.
• Linguistic evidence shows Romans created specialized vocabulary for pork-related trades.

4. Pigs Secured Colonies in the New World

Pigs aided European explorers in settling the Americas by providing a dependable meat source. Unlike cattle, pigs quickly adapted to the New World, thriving and multiplying in unfamiliar environments.

Spanish explorers like Columbus brought pigs on journeys, spreading them across islands and settlements. Pigs, left to breed freely on uninhabited land, became an ongoing resource for sailors needing food. When English colonists arrived, they inherited this self-sustaining system.

Known for thriving unsupervised, pigs enabled settlers to focus on other challenges of colonial life. Historical accounts frequently noted how pigs’ breeding rates ensured consistent meat during tough winters and hostile times.

Examples

• Spanish explorers introduced pigs to nearly every island they explored.
• English settlers relied on pigs due to their adaptability in forests.
• Pigs freed colonists from constant livestock supervision, saving time and labor.

5. Pigs Were Urban Waste Managers

In growing cities, pigs became essential for managing trash. Their omnivorous diet meant pigs consumed food scraps and organic waste, transforming something undesirable into usable output—pork.

Early 20th-century cities like Worcester, Massachusetts, employed pigs en masse for waste disposal. This practice cleaned urban areas and generated income for municipalities through pork production. Over two years, Worcester made $59,000 by processing garbage through pigs.

Farmers later maximized the pigs' efficiency by feeding them corn, which they converted into meat far better than other livestock. The pigs’ efficient digestive systems allowed higher nutritional intake, yielding more meat pound-for-pound than cows.

Examples

• Worcester’s pig program reduced waste while boosting revenue.
• Feeding pigs corn increased meat production efficiency.
• Historical cities relied on pigs to combat growing sanitation problems.

6. Growth of Antibiotics in Pig Farming

When farmers discovered antibiotics, pig farming changed significantly. Treating pigs with supplements, farmers noticed accelerated growth, requiring less feed overall. Pigs reached market weight faster, changing meat production economics.

Farmers embraced this discovery in mid-twentieth century industrial farming. Without much regulation, billions of pigs received antibiotics yearly to prevent illness in crowded, unsanitary barns. Antibiotics simultaneously averted diseases while amplifying profitability for agricultural giants.

However, there was a dark side to this widespread antibiotic use. Long-term exposure encouraged the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, causing untreatable infections to jump from pigs to humans.

Examples

• By 1960, the USA used 1.2 million pounds of livestock antibiotics annually.
• Antibiotics drastically quickened pigs’ weight gains without dietary changes.
• Superbugs like Campylobacter emerged from excessive antibiotic use in farming.

7. The Modern Hog Industry Harms the Environment

Modern methods of pig farming come with environmental costs, from massive manure lagoons to unchecked water contamination. Pigs produce methane and ammonia, which worsen air quality and create hazards for nearby communities.

Some disasters highlight these risks. In 1995, overflowing waste ponds in North Carolina ruined crops and poisoned rivers, killing millions of fish. Additionally, pigs’ natural methane emissions turned dangerous in 2011 when gas exploded on an Iowa farm, killing 1,500 animals.

Despite these risks, factory farming remains standard practice, allowing the meat industry to prioritize profit over safety and sustainability. Advocacy and reforms could press for better practices in pig farms worldwide.

Examples

• North Carolina’s waste spill devastated local ecosystems.
• Iowa pig farm explosions proved methane’s unpredictability.
• Factory farms pollute groundwater near their waste lagoons.

8. Pigs Suffer in Modern Farming Practices

Industrial farming imposes severe suffering on pigs, who endure overcrowded spaces with barely any freedom. Caged so tightly they cannot turn, pigs live under stress, leading to frustration and even cannibalistic tendencies.

In crowded barns, respiratory diseases spread among pigs due to poor ventilation. Frustration drives pigs to bite bars until bloody or injure others. These behaviors underline the mental and physical toll of factory farming on livestock.

Advocates suggest reforms, like outdoor rearing systems, to restore humane treatment for pigs. Such methods not only benefit animals but also address environmental farming sustainability over the long term.

Examples

• Crowded barns create respiratory illness among farm pigs.
• Frustrated pigs exhibit aggressive chewing, hurting themselves in cages.
• Humane alternatives show minimal productivity loss when pigs graze freely.

9. The Cultural and Historical Significance of Pigs

Beyond their role as livestock, pigs are interwoven into human culture and history, from ancient worship to modern cuisines. Societies grappled with how to view and use pigs, alternating between reverence and disdain depending on context.

The pig’s versatility made it a travel companion for Columbus, a cleaning agent for old cities, and the star of Roman feasts. Yet, it has also borne the brunt of stereotypes as an unclean creature, leading to its exclusion from certain cuisines and traditions.

Understanding the historical arc of pigs provides insight into the relationship between humans and other species, reflecting not just on pigs’ journeys but also on our shared existence.

Examples

• Ancient Romans revered pork as a delicacy, influencing food culture for centuries.
• Pigs’ roles as garbage disposers showcase their adaptability in human communities.
• Cultural differences in pig perception reveal varied human values over time.

Takeaways

1. Advocate for humane pig farming by choosing meat products from ethical sources or supporting plant-based options.
2. Educate yourself and others about the environmental impact of factory farming and push for better waste management laws.
3. Reflect on pigs' historical role in human life to develop a greater appreciation of their contributions beyond being food.