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Fat, Not Meat, May Have Led to Bigger Hominin Brains

scientificamerican.com

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Re: Fat, Not Meat, May Have Led to Bigger Hominin Brains

#11

Post by gerdesj »

burtonator wrote: post #8

One of the first human foods was actually bone marrow which is basically pure fat. This happened about 2MYA by Homo habilis who figured out that you could use rocks to bust open bones. Lions and Hyenas would leave huge piles of bones in the middle of the dessert which had been picked clean by vultures. One of our ancestors had the brilliant idea to use a rock to bust open the bones. Well it's a massive source of free…

"who figured out that you could use rocks to bust open bones."

Most carnivores use their teeth to crush bones - lions and hyenas both do it. Heck, we buy doggie treats related to marrow and I have watched my own dogs crush bones to get to the marrow.

Marrow is quite accessible to all, including me - omnomnomnomnom.

Re: Fat, Not Meat, May Have Led to Bigger Hominin Brains

#12

Post by bitwize »

koverda wrote: post #6

Wouldn't other animals with strong bites be capable of crushing bones to eat the marrow inside? The theory is big on assumptions, but I guess that's how it goes when you're trying to figure out what happened millions of years ago.

One of the reasons why dogs gnaw on bones is to get at the marrow inside.

Re: Fat, Not Meat, May Have Led to Bigger Hominin Brains

#13

Post by code_duck »

burtonator wrote: post #8

One of the first human foods was actually bone marrow which is basically pure fat. This happened about 2MYA by Homo habilis who figured out that you could use rocks to bust open bones. Lions and Hyenas would leave huge piles of bones in the middle of the dessert which had been picked clean by vultures. One of our ancestors had the brilliant idea to use a rock to bust open the bones. Well it's a massive source of free…

Extended simmering (>6 hours) releases much of the nutrients in bones, too - collagen, gelatin, fats, minerals. I frequently slow-cook whole chickens and small bones become so soft they can easily be eaten after about 24 hours. Of course, you don't want to over-do this due to issues like histamine and lead.

Re: Fat, Not Meat, May Have Led to Bigger Hominin Brains

#14

Post by code_duck »

koverda wrote: post #6

Wouldn't other animals with strong bites be capable of crushing bones to eat the marrow inside? The theory is big on assumptions, but I guess that's how it goes when you're trying to figure out what happened millions of years ago.

Some animals like snakes simply swallow prey whole. Dogs and pigs are known for eating hastily with minimal chewing, and I'd imagine many other predators are the same. No idea how efficiently their respective digestive systems extract nutrients from solid mammal chunks.

Re: Fat, Not Meat, May Have Led to Bigger Hominin Brains

#16

Post by scottie_m »

burtonator wrote: post #8

One of the first human foods was actually bone marrow which is basically pure fat. This happened about 2MYA by Homo habilis who figured out that you could use rocks to bust open bones. Lions and Hyenas would leave huge piles of bones in the middle of the dessert which had been picked clean by vultures. One of our ancestors had the brilliant idea to use a rock to bust open the bones. Well it's a massive source of free…

Given populations of primates who use rocks to break nuts and shellfish open, I would not be shocked if this is a trait that primates evolved many times in various contexts. Still, most felids and canids (as others point out) crush bones routinely for marrow. Between that and the likelihood of more than just one ancestral tool users I’m skeptical anytime claims of one major factor leading to big brains come out.

I bet more than one factor was at play, and it probably involved some early forms of coordination through communication, the ability to carry things in hands while running, tool use, diet, and selection pressures.

Re: Fat, Not Meat, May Have Led to Bigger Hominin Brains

#17

Post by reaperducer »

gerdesj wrote: post #11
burtonator wrote: post #8

One of the first human foods was actually bone marrow which is basically pure fat. This happened about 2MYA by Homo habilis who figured out that you could use rocks to bust open bones. Lions and Hyenas would leave huge piles of bones in the middle of the dessert which had been picked clean by vultures. One of our ancestors had the brilliant idea to use a rock to bust open the bones. Well it's a massive source of free…

"who figured out that you could use rocks to bust open bones." Most carnivores use their teeth to crush bones - lions and hyenas both do it. Heck, we buy doggie treats related to marrow and I have watched my own dogs crush bones to get to the marrow. Marrow is quite accessible to all, including me - omnomnomnomnom.

Reminds me of family holiday meals as a child, with all the uncles arguing over who gets to slurp the marrow out of the bones.

Except on Thanksgiving, when they argued over who gets the "Pope's nose."

Re: Fat, Not Meat, May Have Led to Bigger Hominin Brains

#18

Post by bobbylarrybobby »

burtonator wrote: post #8

One of the first human foods was actually bone marrow which is basically pure fat. This happened about 2MYA by Homo habilis who figured out that you could use rocks to bust open bones. Lions and Hyenas would leave huge piles of bones in the middle of the dessert which had been picked clean by vultures. One of our ancestors had the brilliant idea to use a rock to bust open the bones. Well it's a massive source of free…

I’m like 80% sure that hyenas are absolutely bone crushers. They get a ton of calories from breaking open bones (with their teeth/jaw)

Re: Fat, Not Meat, May Have Led to Bigger Hominin Brains

#19

Post by XaoDaoCaoCao »

shard972 wrote: post #15

It's still a bit bizarre watching the western world switch form carbs good, fat bad to carbs bad fat good in the span of like a decade.

Going from a high carb diet to a high fat diet was amazing.

"Wait instead of feeling omnipresent urges to overeat and snack, my satiety system actually works? I stop getting dips in energy throughout the day?"

Said it before but a diet of bacon and eggs would be superior to the diets of most Americans.

Re: Fat, Not Meat, May Have Led to Bigger Hominin Brains

#20

Post by strainer »

I don't subscribe to New Scientist's trick title or the theories of nutrient limited mammalian brain evolution.

Compare brain size of carnivore species with herbivores - there is no overt division in average or max brain size. Generally, herbivorous mammals seem to evolve brains just as large as carnivorous ones. Elephants, orangutans, gorillas grow big brains on a vegetarian diet.

If predator diets contain a special surplus of evolutionary-brain-growing nutrients, a few predator species should manifest that claim ~ besides our own artful and fire cooking one.

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