Tag: Neolithic era

While humans have consumed milk products for approximately 9,000 years, the regular consumption of liquid cow's milk is a much more recent development. This practice began following the domestication of cattle, though for most of that history, adults were lactose intolerant and relied on fermented products.

While an estimated 65% of the world's population is lactose intolerant, the majority of people of European descent possess a genetic adaptation that allows them to digest milk as adults. This phenomenon raises the question: Can Europeans digest milk, and what is the evolutionary story behind this unique trait?

Evidence suggests that humans began consuming dairy products at least 8,500 years ago, but the ability to digest lactose into adulthood is a much more recent evolutionary development. This discrepancy between the start of dairying and the spread of lactase persistence provides a compelling look into whether humans truly evolved to consume dairy or if cultural practices drove a later genetic change.