Evolution of the human diet : the known, the unknown, and the unknowable

摘要: We are interested in the evolution of hominin diets for several reasons. One is fundamental concern over our present-day eating habits and consequences societal choices, such as obesity prevalent some cultures starvation others. Another that humans have learned to feed themselves extremely varied environments, these adaptations, which fundamentally different from those closest biological relatives, had historical roots varying depth. The third, reason why most paleoanthropologists this question, a species' trophic level feeding adaptations can strong effect on body size, locomotion, "life history strategies", geographic range, habitat choice, social behavior. Diet key understanding ecology distant ancestors their kin, early hominins. A study range foods eaten by progenitors underscores just how unhealthy many today. This volume brings together authorities disparate fields offer new insights into ancestors. Paleontologists, archaeologists, primatologists, nutritionists other researchers all contribute pieces puzzle. has at its core four main sections: * Reconstructed based fossils-tooth shape, structure, wear, chemistry, mandibular biomechanics Archaeological evidence subsistence-stone tools modified bones Models living primates-both human non-human, paleoecology, energetics Nutritional analyses implications evolutionary medicine New techniques gleaning information fossil teeth, bones, stone tools, theories stemming studies models coming analogy with modern primates understanding. When approaches brought together, they an impressive glimpse lives contributions explore frontiers knowledge each disciplines address knowns, unknowns, unknowables diets.