Why do people across the world mostly only eat a few of the same types of meat (like chicken, beef, pork) when there are thousands of other animals to choose from?
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a) It is almost impossible to domesticate (using low tech) animals that can fly, jump, run very fast or are simply ornery. You also need animals that breed relatively quickly, are easy to feed, produce a good amount of meat (quickly) and are relatively disease resistant. In many regions of the world, this actually only leaves a few types of animals – cows, pigs, goats, sheep and chickens.
b) Hunting is rather energy inefficient, skill intensive, dangerous and not productive. If you can’t domesticate, then the alternative is to hunt. Even in relatively modern times, it isn’t easy to send out a bunch of (typically) men on long, tiring and dangerous hunts only to get enough meat to feed perhaps 10x their number (ie 5 men can hunt enough for 50, for example). Farming is a far less risky and more efficient food production method.
c) Fishing is the more efficient way to obtain animal protein if there are good enough bodies of water nearby. Less dangerous than hunting and more productive.
Ultimately, there simply aren’t “thousands of other animals” to choose from in a practical sense (land based animals)
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