Ancestors' Teeth Shaped by Consumption of Grasses

Ancestors' Teeth Shaped by Consumption of Grasses

In a groundbreaking study published in the journal Science, researchers have shed light on a significant shift in the diet of early hominins that occurred millions of years ago. This transformation, from above-ground plant parts like fruits and leaves to starchy underground plant parts such as tubers and roots, is believed to have played a crucial role in the evolutionary success of our ancient ancestors.

Approximately 2 million years ago, early hominins, including species like Homo habilis and Homo ergaster, began adopting high-carbohydrate resources such as grasses, sedges, and underground tubers. Interestingly, these early hominins did not yet possess the specialized teeth—long molars adapted for chewing tough plant fibers—necessary for efficiently processing these foods. This shift in dietary habits occurred well before such dental adaptations appeared, around 700,000 years ago.

This behavioral flexibility, where early hominins adopted these resources ahead of their dental adaptations, is an example of "behavioral drive." This phenomenon refers to behavior changes leading and shaping morphological evolution. The study suggests that the ability to exploit underground plant parts may have been a key factor in the survival and development of hominins over time.

The significance of this dietary shift lies in its role as a major evolutionary advantage for early humans compared to other primates. While many primates remained reliant on forest-based diets rich in fruits, flowers, and insects, early hominins adapted to emerging grasslands and savannahs by exploiting carbohydrate-rich foods that provided abundant, reliable energy sources.

In contrast, other primates such as extinct baboon-like monkeys (Theropithecus) and leaf-eating monkeys (Cercopithecoides) maintained diets focused more on above-ground plant material. This dietary conservatism may have limited their adaptability as environments transformed. The move toward starchy underground plants thus marks a crucial ecological and evolutionary divergence, facilitating increased energy intake vital for brain growth, tool use, and other hallmarks of human evolution.

The transformation in the hominin diet, starting with above-ground grasses and eventually shifting to the underground organs of plants, took over 700,000 years to be matched by changes in their teeth. This timeline highlights the behavioral and morphological flexibility that contributed to early humans' evolutionary success in varied and changing environments, distinguishing them from other primates.

In summary, the shift to underground foods provided early hominins with a valuable and reliable energy source, allowing them to survive and thrive in diverse environments. This dietary change occurred before the evolution of dental adaptations, demonstrating a form of behavioral drive that shaped the evolutionary trajectory of early humans.

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