The Evolution of Hominin Diets (eBook)

Jean-Jacques, Hublin, Ph.D., is currently a Professor at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig (Germany), where he also serves as the Director of the Department of Human Evolution. Initially his research focuses on the origin and evolution of Neanderthals and he has proposed an accretion model for the emergence of the Neandertal lineage that roots it in time in the middle of the middle Pleistocene. He also worked on the processes associated with the emergence of Homo sapiens and on the interactions between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans in Europe. He developed the use of medical and virtual imaging in the reconstruction and study of fossil hominids and paid attention to the growth and development issues. He has led field operations in North Africa, Spain and France. In addition to his scientific papers, he has regularly published popular books (with translations in English, Italian, Spanish and Chinese) and articles on the subjects of Neanderthal and early modern human evolution. Significant past research and teaching appointments include: Deputy Director for Anthropology, Prehistory and Paleo-environmental Sciences, Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (2000-2003), Researcher, Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (1981-2000), Visiting Professor, University of California at Berkeley (1992), Harvard University (1997) and Stanford University (1999), Elected member of the French National Committee of Scientific Research (1991-2000)., Ph.D., is currently a Professor at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig (Germany), where he also serves as the Director of the Department of Human Evolution. Initially his research focuses on the origin and evolution of Neanderthals and he has proposed an accretion model for the emergence of the Neandertal lineage that roots it in time in the middle of the middle Pleistocene. He also worked on the processes associated with the emergence of Homo sapiens and on the interactions between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans in Europe. He developed the use of medical and virtual imaging in the reconstruction and study of fossil hominids and paid attention to the growth and development issues. He has led field operations in North Africa, Spain and France. In addition to his scientific papers, he has regularly published popular books (with translations in English, Italian, Spanish and Chinese) and articles on the subjects of Neanderthal and early modern human evolution. Significant past research and teaching appointments include: Deputy Director for Anthropology, Prehistory and Paleo-environmental Sciences, Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (2000-2003), Researcher, Centre National de Recherche Scientifique (1981-2000), Visiting Professor, University of California at Berkeley (1992), Harvard University (1997) and Stanford University (1999), Elected member of the French National Committee of Scientific Research (1991-2000).Michael P. Richards is a Professor at the Department of Human Evolution where he runs the archaeological science group. His research interests primarily involve isotope analysis in archaeology, palaeoanthropology and palaeontology, especially for reconstructing past diets and migration patterns. Most of his research has involved the application of stable isotope analysis (C and N) of bone collagen to determine human and animal diets, and especially diet shifts, in Prehistoric and Historic Europe. Particular areas of interest are the shift in diet between the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods in Europe, associated with the adoption of agriculture, and contrasting the diets of Neanderthals and modern humans in Europe. Mike’s current research involves the use of other isotopes to reconstruct climate and migration patterns, as well as the extraction and isotopic analysis of proteins preserved in old or poorly preserved bone and teeth. Mike studied at the Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Canada (BA and MA), and the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, UK (Ph.D.). He held post-doctoral positions at both institutions. He was a Lecturer, Reader and Professor at the Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, UK, a position mainly funded by the Wellcome Trust Bioarchaeology programme. In addition to his current post as Professor at the MPI in Leipzig, he also holds a part-time post at the University of Durham, UK, as Professor of Archaeology. Mike’s research has been published in journals such as Nature, PNAS, AJPA, JAS, and Current Anthropology. is a Professor at the Department of Human Evolution where he runs the archaeological science group. His research interests primarily involve isotope analysis in archaeology, palaeoanthropology and palaeontology, especially for reconstructing past diets and migration patterns. Most of his research has involved the application of stable isotope analysis (C and N) of bone collagen to determine human and animal diets, and especially diet shifts, in Prehistoric and Historic Europe. Particular areas of interest are the shift in diet between the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods in Europe, associated with the adoption of agriculture, and contrasting the diets of Neanderthals and modern humans in Europe. Mike’s current research involves the use of other isotopes to reconstruct climate and migration patterns, as well as the extraction and isotopic analysis of proteins preserved in old or poorly preserved bone and teeth. Mike studied at the Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Canada (BA and MA), and the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, University of Oxford, UK (Ph.D.). He held post-doctoral positions at both institutions. He was a Lecturer, Reader and Professor at the Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, UK, a position mainly funded by the Wellcome Trust Bioarchaeology programme. In addition to his current post as Professor at the MPI in Leipzig, he also holds a part-time post at the University of Durham, UK, as Professor of Archaeology. Mike’s research has been published in journals such as Nature, PNAS, AJPA, JAS, and Current Anthropology.

Contents 7
List of Contributors 9
Preface 12
1. The Diets of Non-human Primates: Frugivory, Food Processing, and Food Sharing 14
Introduction 14
Diet Composition: Variation Between and Within Species 15
Digestive Strategies 19
Processing Plant Foods 19
Dividing Plant Foods 20
Faunivory 21
Meat Sharing 22
Inferences on the Feeding Behavior of Early Hominins: A Primate Perspective 23
2. The Energetics of Encephalization in Early Hominids 28
Introduction 28
Materials and Methods 29
Results 31
Discussion 31
Conclusions 39
3. Meals Versus Snacks and the Human Dentition and Diet During the Paleolithic 43
Introduction 44
Broad Overview of the Digestive System 44
Tooth Size 47
A Short Investigation into Chewing Frequencies 48
Tooth Size in Human Evolution 48
Trends in Tooth Size: Megadontia Versus Microdontia 49
Conclusions 51
4. Modern Human Physiology with Respect to Evolutionary Adaptations that Relate to Diet in the Past 54
Introduction 54
Materials and Methods 55
Results and Discussion 55
Conclusions 63
5. Hunting and Hunting Weapons of the Lower and Middle Paleolithic of Europe 69
Introduction 69
The Hunting Versus Scavenging Debate in European Archaeology 70
The Earliest Sites 72
Sites from the Early Part of the Middle Pleistocene 74
Late Middle and Late Pleistocene Sites 78
Middle Paleolithic Hunting Weapons in Western Europe 80
Discussion 86
Conclusions 89
6. Neanderthal and Modern Human Diet in Eastern Europe 96
Introduction 96
East European Neanderthal Sites in Space and Time 97
Reconstructing Neanderthal Diet in Eastern Europe 98
The Problem of Neanderthal Diet in Eastern Europe 99
Modern Human Colonization of Eastern Europe 100
Modern Human Diet in Eastern Europe: Middle Pleniglacial 102
Modern Human Diet in Eastern Europe: Upper Pleniglacial 104
Conclusions 104
7. Hominin Subsistence Patterns During the Middle and Late Paleolithic in Northwestern Europe 108
Introduction 108
Summarizing the Middle Paleolithic Faunal Record 109
Material and Methods 111
Results 113
Discussion 116
Conclusions 118
8. Late Pleistocene Subsistence Strategies and Resource Intensification in Africa 121
Introduction 121
Samples 122
Increased Exploitation of Existing High Ranked Prey Resources 123
Increased Exploitation of Existing but Low Ranked Resources 126
Exploitation of New Prey Discussion 129
Conclusions 131
9. Seasonal Patterns of Prey Acquisition and Inter- group Competition During the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic of the Southern Caucasus 135
Neanderthal-Modern Human Subsistence and Competition 135
The Faunal Assemblage of Ortvale Klde 137
The Seasonal Exploitation of Caucasian Tur at Ortvale Klde 140
Discussion 141
Regional Perspective on Seasonality in the Southern Caucasus 143
Conclusions 144
10. Epipaleolithic Subsistence Intensification in the Southern Levant: The Faunal Evidence 149
Introduction 149
Methods 151
Results 152
Discussion 159
Conclusion 161
11. Paleolithic Diet and the Division of Labor in Mediterranean Eurasia 164
Introduction 165
The Division of Labor in Recent Hunter- Gatherers 166
Division of Labor in the Paleolithic 167
Zooarchaeological Comparisons 167
Technological Comparisons 169
Women’s Work in the Middle Paleolithic 170
Labor Allocation and Population Competition 170
On the Problem of Neandertal Extinction 172
12. Moving North: Archaeobotanical Evidence for Plant Diet in Middle and Upper Paleolithic Europe 177
Introduction: Archaeobotanical Issues for a Carnivorous Diet 177
The Evidence: Looking Back and Looking Forward 178
New Environments and New Plant Strategies 182
Conclusions 184
13. Diet in Early Hominin Species: A Paleoenvironmental Perspective 187
Introduction 187
Historical Background 188
Systematic Approaches to Diet 188
The Paleoenvironmental Perspective 189
Material and Method 190
Bovids 190
Hominins 191
14. The Impact of Projectile Weaponry on Late Pleistocene Hominin Evolution 195
Introduction 195
Materials and Methods 197
Results 197
Analysis 199
Discussion 201
Conclusions 203
15. The Evolution of the Human Capacity for “ Killing at a Distance”: The Human Fossil Evidence for the Evolution of Projectile Weaponry 206
Introduction 206
Materials and Methods 209
Results 211
Discussion 212
Conclusions 213
16. An Energetics Perspective on the Neandertal Record 216
Introduction 216
The Neandertal Archeological Record 217
Neandertal Energetics 219
Implications for Neandertal Use of Space 221
Conclusion and Discussion 222
17. d13C Values Reflect Aspects of Primate Ecology in Addition to Diet 226
Introduction 226
Variation in C3 Foods 226
Variation in Animals Feeding on C3 Foods 227
Implications for Diet Reconstruction 229
18. Increased Dietary Breadth in Early Hominin Evolution: Revisiting Arguments and Evidence with a Focus on Biogeochemical Contributions 233
Introduction 233
A Brief and Not Impartial History 234
Biogeochemical Approaches 236
Discussion 239
Conclusions 241
19. Neanderthal Dietary Habits: Review of the Isotopic Evidence 245
Introduction 245
Material and Methods 245
Results 249
Discussion 249
Conclusions 251
20. Stable Isotope Evidence for European Upper Paleolithic Human Diets 255
Introduction 255
Upper Paleolithic Human Isotope Values 256
Discussion 260
Summary and Conclusions 260
Index 262