Quoted post unavailable.
> they had a life expectancy of like 20 years
This just meant that a LOT of kids died, not that most adults didn't live very long.
Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
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Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#12Quoted post unavailable.
> they had a life expectancy of like 20 years This just meant that a LOT of kids died, not that most adults didn't live very long.
That is something apparently so obvious, but I was pretty surprised when I first read it. Honestly grew up thinking everyone died at 30 in the past.
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#13> We have very few teeth from this period in Africa. We don’t know if this is unusual or not,
Alternative view, cavities were common and the teeth were removed / fell out.
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#14Earlier quoted context omitted.
> they had a life expectancy of like 20 years This just meant that a LOT of kids died, not that most adults didn't live very long.
That is something apparently so obvious, but I was pretty surprised when I first read it. Honestly grew up thinking everyone died at 30 in the past.
I think that is part of the issue with communicating bulk statistics like life expectancy. In reality the median or mean after 15 or after 30 is likely more useful as a measure.
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#15Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you have evidence or proof of this? /s
Cadbury, since 1824. Although it may have just been acquired or rebranded at that time.
Pretty sure my caveman ancestors cobbled together the first Jolly Ranchers, otherwise why would I think they're so delicious?
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#16When your diet is mostly meat based, and some foraged greens and rare fruit, it is not the ideal environment to feed the process that creates cavities. Also, I'd imagine tooth extraction predates a lot of modern history, which may skew results, but that is just a guess on my part.
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
> they had a life expectancy of like 20 years This just meant that a LOT of kids died, not that most adults didn't live very long.
That is something apparently so obvious, but I was pretty surprised when I first read it. Honestly grew up thinking everyone died at 30 in the past.
The other weird thing is how skewed it was by sex. Men might have a life expectancy of 50 while for women it was 30.
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#18They didn’t eat Cadbury cream eggs and drink extra large sodas.
True but irrelevant. Cavities begin showing up in the historical record several millennia before the advent of candy and soda.
If nothing else, dogs and cats get cavities and they're not eating a gallon of coke or a bucket of M&Ms...
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#19> We have very few teeth from this period in Africa. We don’t know if this is unusual or not, Alternative view, cavities were common and the teeth were removed / fell out.
The question should be "where are the missing teeth?, and why?
Re: Why didn't our ancient ancestors get cavities?
#20That’s easy.
Sugar.