| > > |
Stone tools reveal ancient human diet |
WASHINGTON: Scientists have discovered
ancient stone tools and cut-marked animal remains in Kenya, which they claim is
the first evidence that early humans ate a diverse diet, including fish,
crocodiles and turtles.
A new study has revealed that almost two
million years ago, early humans began eating aquatic foods like crocodiles,
turtles and fish - a diet that could have played an important role in evolution
of human brains and footsteps out of Africa.
"This site in Africa is
the first evidence that early humans were eating an extremely broad diet," said
Andy Herries of New South Wales University, a member of the international team
which carried out the study.
The research represents a collaborative
effort with the National Museums of Kenya and is led by David Braun of the
University of Cape Town in South Africa and Jack Harris of Rutgers University in
the US.
The scientists found evidence of the early humans eating both
freshwater fish and land animals at the site in the northern Rift Valley of
Kenya. It is thought that small bodied early Homo would have scavenged the
remains of these creatures, rather than hunting for them.
"This find
is important because fish in particular has been associated with brain
development and it is after this period that we see smaller-brained hominin
species evolving into larger-brained Homo species - Homo erectus - the first
hominin to leave Africa.
"A broader diet as suggested by the site's
archaeology may have been the catalyst for brain development and humanity's
first footsteps out of Africa," said Herries.
The team dated the
archaeological remains using palaeomagnetism, a technique that identifies the
fossilised direction of the Earth's magnetic field in sediments, the findings of
which are published in the 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Science'
journal.
|
| |
| Related News |
| We will ultimately end AIDS US researcher |
| High triglyceride levels Blame it on Delhi gene |
| For a fit body, working out your back is vital |
| Now, a jab to treat Parkinsons |
| A simple blood test to tell how long you will live |
| Scientist reveals why tanned women live longer |
| Scientists create tornadoes to test homes in Japan |
| A device that uses sound waves to move objects |
| Anti-matter riddle Answer just a step away |
| Burning rogue cells with magnetic pulse to fight cancer |
