Beijing time on June 9 news, according to the United States, "National Geographic" website reports, the latest study shows that crocodiles and mammals were once a good meal for early humans, and feeding on fat-rich crocodile meat may help early human evolution Bigger brain.
The findings are based on the sacrum and artefacts found in a prehistoric "kitchen," which constitute the earliest evidence that humans feed on aquatic animals. In the site of the 195-million-year-old site in northern Kenya, archaeologists discovered stone tools and slaughtered turtles, crocodile and fish bones. Curiously, they did not find human bones there. This shows that early human use This prehistoric "kitchen" specializes in cooking.
According to the researchers, early humans feeding on aquatic animals may increase the volume of brains of some primitive people. This is because crocodiles and fish are rich in long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. David Braun, an archeologist at the University of Cape Town in South Africa who led the study, said that some experts believe that this so-called beneficial fat is part of the “environmental evolution package†of the human brain. Braun pointed out that the evidence of “brain food†found in the late Pliocene (3 million to 1.8 million years ago) may explain the fact that the brains of humans and their relatives were getting larger in size from about 1.8 million years ago. Reasons, such as the human's immediate ancestors erect human brain.
Researchers discovered a total of approximately 48 species of animal remains at Kenyan sites. The site was once a delta that was intertwined with a stream. In addition to aquatic animals, archeologists have also found evidence of early mammals feeding on mammals, such as ancient rhinoceros, hippo and antelope. The results of the study are published in the latest issue of the National Institute of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
According to the researchers, some animal bones are left with a simple, but sharp, stone tool to cut the traces. Braun pointed out that Kenyan primitives are not crocodile hunters. On the contrary, early humans may feed animal carcasses and cut them to the kitchen to cut into chunks and eat them raw - because humans will not use fire at that time. Dean Falco, an anthropologist at Florida State University in the United States, said that it is reasonable to say that feeding on aquatic animals is healthy in promoting brain growth and development.
However, he also pointed out that "the traditional view that the volume of the brain suddenly increased about 2 million years ago has lost theoretical support in the past decade." Farko did not participate in the Braun team's research. For example, a study conducted by Falco in 2000 found that in some branches of Australopithecus in human ancestors, part of the brain began to deform as early as 2 million years ago - a trend that is related to an increase in the size of the brain. This study was published in the Journal of Human Evolution.
Braun said that in any case, mammals and reptiles have become a great meal for our ancestors at some stage of human evolution. "This may give early humans a competitive advantage."
The findings are based on the sacrum and artefacts found in a prehistoric "kitchen," which constitute the earliest evidence that humans feed on aquatic animals. In the site of the 195-million-year-old site in northern Kenya, archaeologists discovered stone tools and slaughtered turtles, crocodile and fish bones. Curiously, they did not find human bones there. This shows that early human use This prehistoric "kitchen" specializes in cooking.
According to the researchers, early humans feeding on aquatic animals may increase the volume of brains of some primitive people. This is because crocodiles and fish are rich in long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. David Braun, an archeologist at the University of Cape Town in South Africa who led the study, said that some experts believe that this so-called beneficial fat is part of the “environmental evolution package†of the human brain. Braun pointed out that the evidence of “brain food†found in the late Pliocene (3 million to 1.8 million years ago) may explain the fact that the brains of humans and their relatives were getting larger in size from about 1.8 million years ago. Reasons, such as the human's immediate ancestors erect human brain.
Researchers discovered a total of approximately 48 species of animal remains at Kenyan sites. The site was once a delta that was intertwined with a stream. In addition to aquatic animals, archeologists have also found evidence of early mammals feeding on mammals, such as ancient rhinoceros, hippo and antelope. The results of the study are published in the latest issue of the National Institute of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
According to the researchers, some animal bones are left with a simple, but sharp, stone tool to cut the traces. Braun pointed out that Kenyan primitives are not crocodile hunters. On the contrary, early humans may feed animal carcasses and cut them to the kitchen to cut into chunks and eat them raw - because humans will not use fire at that time. Dean Falco, an anthropologist at Florida State University in the United States, said that it is reasonable to say that feeding on aquatic animals is healthy in promoting brain growth and development.
However, he also pointed out that "the traditional view that the volume of the brain suddenly increased about 2 million years ago has lost theoretical support in the past decade." Farko did not participate in the Braun team's research. For example, a study conducted by Falco in 2000 found that in some branches of Australopithecus in human ancestors, part of the brain began to deform as early as 2 million years ago - a trend that is related to an increase in the size of the brain. This study was published in the Journal of Human Evolution.
Braun said that in any case, mammals and reptiles have become a great meal for our ancestors at some stage of human evolution. "This may give early humans a competitive advantage."