Join Live Science as we take a seat at the table with Bill Schutt, author of "Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History" (Algonquin Books, 2018). While cannibalism in animals — including people — has been recognized for centuries, it wasn't always well-studied, and was long-thought to be a type of behavior that only appeared under conditions of extreme stress or deprivation.

However, research over the past few decades has taken a bite out of cannibalism myths and misconceptions. Scientists are taking a closer look at cannibalism in the natural world and in human societies from the not-so-distant-past, and are finding that it's more widespread and established as a behavior than was once thought.

Schutt recently joined Live Science for a Facebook Live event to talk about covering this meaty topic in his new book, and he shared some tasty science tidbits: from insects that consume their mates, to sharks that eat their siblings in utero, to our fascination with the Donner Party and fictional cannibals like Hannibal Lector.