Our diet has a direct impact on our quality of life, and this fact is not new. Throughout the evolution of our species, food availability and our diet have been influential factors. The Hominin River has provided insights into the dietary habits of our predecessors and how it affected their brain size and ability to walk on two legs. The transition from herbivores to omnivores, as well as learning how to cook food, caused a reduction in teeth size and gut size. Despite not documenting their meals or counting calories, our ancient hominin ancestors were keen on experimenting with what they ate. Their primary concern was avoiding predators, so we rely on archaeological findings to understand their diet.

Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and others on the front page of EvolutionTalk.com, or call your local bookstore and ask them to order a copy.

Works Cited

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  • Bionic Disco. “McDonald’s Big Mac Jingle Commercial (1974).” YouTube, 9 Feb. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEBCV0ic6Tc.

  • “C3, C4, and CAM Plants (Article) | Khan Academy.” Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/photosynthesis-in-plants/photorespiration–c3-c4-cam-plants/a/c3-c4-and-cam-plants-agriculture.

  • Evidence for Meat-Eating by Early Humans | Learn Science at Scitable. www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/evidence-for-meat-eating-by-early-humans-103874273.

  • “A Grassy Trend in Human Ancestors’ Diets.” NSF – National Science Foundation, www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=128106.

  • “How Do We Know What They Ate?” The Australian Museum, australian.museum/learn/science/human-evolution/how-do-we-know-what-they-ate.

  • Jiro Su. “Where’s the Beef?” YouTube, 12 May 2006, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug75diEyiA0.

  • John Hawks. “Interview With Matt Sponheimer About Stable Isotopes.” YouTube, 28 July 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlycN-CDo2A.

  • Movieclips. “The Wolf Man (1941) – Protection From Me Scene (4/10) | Movieclips.” YouTube, 28 Aug. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqNTVkdsTL0.

  • Project ReBrief. “Coca-Cola, 1971 – ‘Hilltop’ | ‘I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke.’” YouTube, 6 Mar. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VM2eLhvsSM.

  • sangroncito. “Coke Keeps You Thin!  (1961 Coke Commercial).” YouTube, 14 Dec. 2008, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zTDbpxT8ZI.

  • Siliezar, Juan. “Study Explains Early Humans Ate Starch — and Why It Matters.” Harvard Gazette, 12 May 2021, news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/05/study-explains-early-humans-ate-starch-and-why-it-matters.

  • Simmons, Laura. “How Scientists Work Out What Ancient Hominins Ate.” IFLScience, 6 Feb. 2023, www.iflscience.com/how-scientists-work-out-what-ancient-hominins-ate-67406.

  • The Family Of Pears. “OLD FASHIONED 70’s and 80’s FASTFOOD COMMERCIALS.” YouTube, 29 Mar. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q5f3E9lUk0.

  • The Retro Archives. “70’s/80’s Food Commercials.” YouTube, 14 Jan. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkYjUaUewcA.

  • WildSapiens, Sarah. “Scientists Find Early Evidence of Humans Cooking Starches.” Scientific American, 22 June 2019, www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-find-early-evidence-of-humans-cooking-starches.

Music in this Episode

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