Changing perspectives on early hominin diets

Abstract

It is axiomatic that knowledge of the diets of extinct hominin species is central to any understanding of their ecology and our evolution. The importance of diet in the paleontological realm has led to the employment of multiple approaches in its elucidation. Some of these have deep historical roots, while others are dependent upon more recent technical and methodological advances. Historically, studies of tooth size, shape, and structure have been the gold standard for reconstructing diet. They focus on species-level adaptations, and as such, they can set theoretical brackets for dietary capabilities within the context of specific evolutionary moments. Other methods (e.g., analyses of dental calculus, biogeochemistry, and dental microwear) have only been developed within the past few decades, but are now beginning to yield evidence of the actual foods consumed by individuals represented by fossil remains. Here we begin by looking at these more “direct” forms of evidence of diet before showing that, when used in conjunction with other techniques, these “multi-proxy” approaches can raise questions about traditional interpretations of early hominin diets and change the nature of paleobiological interpretations.

Stubby versus stabby: A preliminary analysis of canine microwear in primates: Implication for inferring ingestive behaviors

“…Adaptive evidence, such as tooth size, shape, and structure, can tell us something about dietary capabilities and selective pressures on extinct forms (Teaford & Ungar, 2000; Ungar, 2017). Foodprints, such as isotopes and microwear, can tell us something about food choice in light of availability, and thus potentially responses of individuals to climate‐related habitat changes (Teaford et al, 2023).…”

“…Foodprints, such as isotopes and microwear, can tell us something about food choice in light of availability, and thus potentially responses of individuals to climate-related habitat changes (Teaford et al, 2023).…”