Evolution of the human diet

Eduzendium article

The evolution of the human diet is an important research topic within physical anthropology and nutritional anthropology. It involves evidence drawn from human biology, nutritional science, the paleoanthropological analysis of hominin fossil remains, and comparative studies in primatology. Key issues that have been investigated to date include the functional relationship of dentition and craniofacial anatomy to diet, behavioral adaptations to diet (such as the use of tools and fire), the metabolic consequences of increased encephalization, and the relative evolutionary importance of meat-eating. Ancient hominin diets are inferred through a wide range of techniques, such as biomechanics, dental microwear analysis, stable isotope analysis, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction.

Overview

The human diet differs from that of other living primates in several important ways. First, humans are highly omnivorous, exploiting a wide range of plant, animal, and fungal foods (although they do not tend to consume plants high in cellulose, unlike some primates). Second, the human diet is comparatively high-quality, or dense in energy and nutrients. Finally, there is not just one human diet, but instead a very wide range of diets situated within a highly diverse set of environments. Although all humans share the same broad dietary requirements for calories, macronutrients, and micronutrients, various populations have discovered or invented significantly different strategies for meeting those requirements.

Morphological evidence

The physical qualities of the masticatory apparatus - teeth, jaws, and related cranial features - can be used to infer the mechanical properties of the foods an organism could or did eat.

Metabolism and bioenergetics

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