Scientists recently discovered some new fossils in Eastern Africa that they believe to be the most primitive of the Homo Erectus Species. Using relative dating, they were able to determine that the fossils were from about 3.4 million years ago. Joseph Ferraro of Baylor University found the fossils, and by looking at the different structures, and remains in the teeth, he was able to determine that a large part of the diet came from antelope skull and brains! Let me know what you think of this article in the comments below.
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This is really interesting. I wonder how they were able to digest the skull. Why did they eat the brains and skulls of the antelope as opposed to the other parts. I guess we'll probably never know.
ReplyDeleteI also read in the article that they most likely ate a lot of antelope because they were small, huntable animals and may have gotten bigger game from taking the dead animal after a bigger animal had just eaten most of it. I read another article that they also ate some vegetation but it varied from season to season.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120808132711.htm
I read your post and it got me interested to see if their were any health problems the early humans faced by remaining on a carnivorous diet. I found this article to tell me more:
ReplyDeletehttp://inhumanexperiment.blogspot.com/2009/09/two-brave-men-who-ate-nothing-but-meat.html
Dr. Vilhjalmur Stefansson, a Canadian ethnologist, spent over ten years in the artic living on only fish and meat. He had no health problems. After a year of only meat, the doctor experienced no weight gain, blood pressure did not increase, no physical fatigue, and no clinical evidence of vitamin or calcium deficiency was noted. Also hair had thickened and tooth decay rate slowed down. All in all I believe the early humans had something right.
How is it even possible to eat a skull? it doesnt seem possible. this article states that the first humans were from 1-2 million years ago: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/whoami/findoutmore/yourgenes/wheredidwecomefrom/whowerethefirsthumans.aspx
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