So here goes how did people ever figure out what plants were edible? i am talking about originally. I have a few theories but what im wondering here, is if there is a general theory or maybe everyone just knows the answer except for me. My theories are as follows: 1. People observed what the other animals were eating and they learned from them. 2. People trained animals to eat the plants and discovered what was edible by what happened to the animal when they consumed the plant or product there of. 3. As creatures evolved down to humans the information was passed down by whatever they had been before they evolved all the way back to the beggining of life itself on our planet. 4.(this is my girlfriends)it could either be by sense of smell or personal experience from eating the plants which would either result in receiving sustenance or getting sick.