Summary:
- New research indicates that scavengers exhibit a biological or behavioral aversion to consuming members of their own species, which serves as a critical evolutionary mechanism to avoid the transmission of pathogens and parasites.
- The study highlights that this "cannibalism avoidance" is a key factor in maintaining the health of scavenger populations, as carcasses of conspecifics are more likely to harbor diseases that are already adapted to infect that specific species.