Human Ancestors Chewed Bulbs And Worms, Study Finds
Nutcracker Man 2 The skull of hominin Olduvai Hominid 5, a "Nutcracker Man," is a famous early human fossil. Courtesy Donald C Johanson With his big flat molar teeth and powerful jaws, the hominin Paranthropus boisei has long earned a nickname as the “Nutcracker Man.” But for many years, archaeologists debated what this human relative, who roamed East Africa between about 2.4 million to 1.4 million years ago, actually ate. Previous isotope analysis suggests a diet rich in C4 plants—plants that produce compounds with four carbon atoms during photosynthesis—such as grasses and sedges. But some scientists questioned whether such low-quality foods were nutritious enough for the hominin’s large brain. Now, Oxford University archaeologist Gabriele Macho may have an answer. It’s impossible to observe what the hominins consumed, so Macho studied the diets of...