Category: Anthropology

Multiple studies using different methods have largely concluded that Neanderthals required significantly higher daily energy, potentially hundreds of calories more than early modern humans. So, did Neanderthals need more calories than humans? The scientific consensus points to yes, and the reasons are deeply rooted in their evolutionary biology and lifestyle.

For over a thousand years, the Bajau people have thrived on a diet almost entirely dependent on the ocean, showcasing remarkable human adaptation to a life at sea. This unique lifestyle is fueled by their exceptional free-diving abilities and intimate knowledge of marine ecosystems, which dictate what is the diet of the Bajau.

Geophagy, the practice of intentionally eating earth or soil-like substances, is widespread across the globe and dates back to antiquity. One prominent and culturally significant example of a geophagy is the consumption of kaolin, commonly known as Calabar chalk in parts of West and Central Africa.

Archaeological evidence from dental calculus reveals that Neanderthals ate a variety of plants, challenging the myth of a meat-only caveman diet. So, what was the diet of the distant ancestors, and how did it change over millions of years of human evolution?

An estimated 99% of human history was dominated by a hunter-gatherer diet, making the last 12,000 years of agricultural and industrial food production a drastic evolutionary change. The differences and comparisons between food habits of earliest people and modern people reveal how food availability, processing, and lifestyles have profoundly reshaped human nutrition and health.

The human brain has increased 300% in size over six million years, a dietary shift that included meat likely making this possible. This brings into focus the complex question: are humans omnivores or scavengers, and how did these roles shape our ancestors' lives?

Estimates suggest that Paleolithic hunter-gatherers consumed about 11,000 mg of potassium daily, a stark contrast to modern diets that are often deficient in this mineral. This incredibly high intake prompts the question: where did hunter-gatherers get potassium and how did they sustain such a mineral-rich diet?

Archaeological evidence from human skeletal remains shows a noticeable decline in overall health and stature following the transition to farming. The fundamental dietary shift that happened during the agricultural era involved a move away from the highly varied, protein-rich diet of hunter-gatherers toward a more monotonous, carbohydrate-heavy diet dominated by cereal grains. This change had profound, long-term consequences for human health and society.

In a 1985 landmark study, researchers posited that many modern chronic diseases stem from a mismatch between our current food choices and what kind of diet did our ancestors have, particularly those from the Paleolithic era. The truth, however, reveals a complex picture of diverse and changing ancestral eating patterns that varied dramatically by region and time.

Genetic studies suggest that nearly 100% of Native American populations were historically lactose intolerant, a key factor in their dietary practices prior to European contact. This absence of milk consumption was not a cultural choice based on lack of desire, but a biological reality tied to their ancestral heritage.