Early Pleistocene faunivorous hominins were not kleptoparasitic, and this impacted the evolution of human anatomy and socio-ecology
| Autor: | Elia Organista, Vivek Maskara, Rocío Mora, Rebeca Barba, Julia Aramendi, Diego González-Aguilera, José-Manuel Maíllo-Fernández, Audax Mabulla, Agness Gidna, Fernando Diez-Martín, Miguel Ángel Maté-González, Lucía Cobo-Sánchez, David Uribelarrea, Marcos Pizarro-Monzo, Marina Vegara-Riquelme, Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo, Natalia Abellán, David Manuel Martín-Perea, Antonio Rodríguez-Hidalgo, Enrique Baquedano, Ana Belén Galán, Lloyd A. Courtenay, Gabriel Cifuentes-Alcobendas, Blanca Jiménez-García |
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| Přispěvatelé: | Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (España), Ministerio de Cultura (España), Swedish Research Council, Banco Santander, Fundación Palarq |
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
Meat
Taphonomy Early Pleistocene Science Ecology (disciplines) Biological anthropology Evolution of human intelligence Biology Tanzania Article Paleontología Predation Animals Humans Ecosystem History Ancient Multidisciplinary Fossils Ecology Encephalization Hominidae Adaptation Physiological Biological Evolution Carnivory Habitat Archaeology Diet Paleolithic Medicine Adaptation Algorithms |
| Zdroj: | Digital.CSIC: Repositorio Institucional del CSIC Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) Scientific Reports E-Prints Complutense. Archivo Institucional de la UCM instname Scientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-13 (2021) Digital.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC |
| Popis: | Humans are unique in their diet, physiology and socio‑reproductive behavior compared to other primates. They are also unique in the ubiquitous adaptation to all biomes and habitats. From an evolutionary perspective, these trends seem to have started about two million years ago, coinciding with the emergence of encephalization, the reduction of the dental apparatus, the adoption of a fully terrestrial lifestyle, resulting in the emergence of the modern anatomical bauplan, the focalization of certain activities in the landscape, the use of stone tools, and the exit from Africa. It is in this period that clear taphonomic evidence of a switch in diet with respect to Pliocene hominins occurred, with the adoption of carnivory. Until now, the degree of carnivorism in early humans remained controversial. A persistent hypothesis is that hominins acquired meat irregularly (potentially as fallback food) and opportunistically through klepto‑foraging. Here, we test this hypothesis and show, in contrast, that the butchery practices of early Pleistocene hominins (unveiled through systematic study of the patterning and intensity of cut marks on their prey) could not have resulted from having frequent secondary access to carcasses. We provide evidence of hominin primary access to animal resources and emphasize the role that meat played in their diets, their ecology and their anatomical evolution, ultimately resulting in the ecologically unrestricted terrestrial adaptation of our species. This has major implications to the evolution of human physiology and potentially for the evolution of the human brain. We thank the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for funding this research (HAR2017-82463-C4-1-P) and for fellowships to JA,GCA and MVR, and the Ministry of Culture for their funding through the program of Archaeology Abroad. We also thank the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) (AR-HS 2018-01045-3), and the Santander Bank (AR-HS 2018-01045-3) for their funding support. Our thanks also to the Palarq Foundation and E2in2 for financial support. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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