Human teeth evolved to fit our diet
As humans, one of our greatest evolutionary advantages is our Chompres. Our combination of molars, canines and incisors helps us to consume a diversified and omnivorous diet, unlike many other animals. This considerably extends the menu available for energy sources and thus increases nutritional options and the chances of survival. But according to a study published on July 31 in the journal ScienceThe desire of the first ancestors of hominins to bite more than they could literally chew is the likely reason for our dental evolution.
The results come from a team led by researchers from Dartmouth College and propose the first known evidence of Human Fossil Record of what is called behavioral behavior – the tendency of a species to develop routines which are useful for their survival before their physiology evolves to respond to these requests.
“We can definitely say that hominines were quite flexible with regard to behavior and it was their advantage,” said Luke Fannin, anthropologist and principal of the study, in a press release.
Fannin explained that anthropologists often discuss the behavioral and morphological changes of hominines as if they were playing in tandem with each other. Instead, the analysis of his team indicates that early human behavior was his own evolutionary force – one with great implications for our physical and food journey.
Fannin and his colleagues reached their conclusions by examining several sets of fossilized teeth of various species of hominin and primates, starting with one of our parents far from 3.9 to 2.9 million years called Australopithecus Afarensis. The researchers were particularly interested in their graying levels, the isotopes of carbon and oxygen left to eat herbs and care. They also looked at the fossil teeth of two extinguished primate species which were contemporary with A. Afarensis—The terrestrial monkeys of the tank that looked like baboons called Theropiths, as well as small herbivorous monkeys called colobines.
The team discovered that while A. AfarensisTheropitaries and colobines initially preferred a heavy diet in insects, fruits and flowers, they started to go to the more difficult and heavy grasses grasor 3.4 to 4.8 million years ago. However, these changing pallets occurred at least 700,000 years before their teeth and their digestive systems optimized for vegetation.
Then, about 2.3 million years ago, hominin teeth began to present much lower amounts of oxygen and carbon isotopes. According to the researchers, this implies that the human ancestor of the time –Homo Rudolfensis—Nex of their grass intake for depleted water to oxygen. They offered three possible theories for this. In a scenario, H. Rudolfensis Branded at a lot more water than other African primates and animals. Another hypothesis is that they have adopted a behavior similar to today’s hippopotams, spending their days submerged in the water and eating at night. However, the most coherent explanation with the behavior of the beginning of man is that the hominines began to harvest underground plants rich in carbohydrates such as tubers and bulbs.
This last argument follows a species that develops quickly in physical size and number. Energy plants were everywhere, they do not retaliate like prey and were more nutritious. At this stage of history, ancient humans also began to train stone tools that facilitated the search for underground plants.
“We propose that this passage to underground food was a signal moment in our evolution,” said Fannin. “It created an overabundance of carbohydrates that were lasting – our ancestors could access it at any time of the year to feed themselves and the others.”
According to the main author of the study, Nathaniel Dominy, one of the remaining “burning questions” of anthropology is “that hominines have made differently than other primates doesn’t TO DO?”
“This work shows that the ability to exploit the tissues of the grass can be our secret sauce,” he said.
More offers, reviews and purchasing guides
