The Diets of Early Hominins
Abstract
Diet changes are considered key events in human evolution. Most studies of early hominin diets focused on tooth size, shape, and craniomandibular morphology, as well as stone tools and butchered animal bones. However, in recent years, dental microwear and stable isotope analyses have hinted at unexpected diversity and complexity in early hominin diets. Some traditional ideas have held; others, such as an increasing reliance on hard-object feeding and a dichotomy between Australopithecus and Paranthropus , have been challenged. The first known evidence of C 4 plant (tropical grasses and sedges) and hard-object (e.g., seeds and nuts) consumption dates to millions of years after the appearance of the earliest probable hominins, and there are no consistent trends in diet change among these species through time.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Molar microwear does not necessarily agree with suggestions that hard or tough food items were an increasingly common component of the diet.
“molar microwear, an indicator of food mechanical properties, does not necessarily agree with suggestions that hard or tough food items were an increasingly common component of the diet 22”
From The evolutionary history of the human face (2019) · cites this paper as [22]
Bone growth centers are present in the craniofacial skeleton and are situated to optimize the organism's physiological requirements through integrating factors over time.
“One aspect of this organization in the craniofacial skeleton is the presence of bone growth centers 22,55 , which are situated to optimize the organism's physiological requirements through the actions of integrating factors over time.”
From The evolutionary history of the human face (2019) · cites this paper as [22]
Cites
Influence of diet on the distribution of nitrogen isotopes in animals
DeNiro, M. J., & Epstein, S. (1981) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/0016-7037(81)90244-1 · Cited by 6,099 · see citing works
Influence of diet on the distribution of carbon isotopes in animals
DeNiro, M. J., & Epstein, S. (1978) · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta · doi:10.1016/0016-7037(78)90199-0 · Cited by 4,868 · see citing works
The expensive-tissue hypothesis: The brain and the digestive system in human and primate evolution
Aiello, L. C., & Wheeler, P. (1995) · Current Anthropology · doi:10.1086/204350 · Cited by 2,291 · see citing works
African climate change and faunal evolution during the Pliocene–Pleistocene
deMenocal, P. B. (2004) · Earth and Planetary Science Letters · doi:10.1016/s0012-821x(04)00003-2 · Cited by 1,279 · see citing works
Primate adaptation and evolution
(1989) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.26-3889 · Cited by 1,246 · see citing works
Evolutionary History of the Robust Australopithecines
Grine, F. E. (2017) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203792667 · Cited by 991 · see citing works
Lee‐Thorp, J. A., Sealy, J. C., & van der Merwe, N. J. (1989) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/0305-4403(89)90024-1 · Cited by 875 · see citing works
McPherron, S. P., Alemseged, Z., Marean, C. W., Wynn, J. G., Reed, D. N., Geraads, D., Bobe, R. L., & Béarat, H. A. (2010) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature09248 · Cited by 835 · see citing works
The Seed-Eaters: A New Model of Hominid Differentiation Based on a Baboon Analogy
Jolly, C. J. (1970) · Man · doi:10.2307/2798801 · Cited by 668 · see citing works
Dental microwear texture analysis shows within-species diet variability in fossil hominins
Scott, R. S., Ungar, P. S., Bergstrom, T. S., Brown, C. A., Grine, F. E., Teaford, M. F., & Walker, A. (2005) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature03822 · Cited by 617 · see citing works
Self-citationDental Functional Morphology: How Teeth Work
Lucas, P. W. (2004) · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511735011 · Cited by 550 · see citing works
Grine, F. E. (1986) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/s0047-2484(86)80010-0 · Cited by 514 · see citing works
Diet and the evolution of the earliest human ancestors
Teaford, M. F., & Ungar, P. S. (2000) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.260368897 · Cited by 492 · see citing works
Self-citationSemaw, S. (2000) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1006/jasc.1999.0592 · Cited by 400 · see citing works
Dental functional morphology how teeth work
Lucas, P. W. (2004) · Cited by 393 · see citing works
Primate Adaptation and Evolution.
Froehlich, J. W., & Fleagle, J. G. (1989) · Man · doi:10.2307/2804301 · Cited by 391 · see citing works
Bioenergetics and the origin of hominid bipedalism
Rodman, P. S., & McHenry, H. M. (1980) · American Journal of Physical Anthropology · doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330520113 · Cited by 357 · see citing works
Aspects of the Chemistry of Modern and Fossil Biological Apatites
Lee-Thorp, J., & van der Merwe, N. J. (1991) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/0305-4403(91)90070-6 · Cited by 351 · see citing works
Dental Microwear and Diet of the Plio-Pleistocene Hominin Paranthropus boisei
Ungar, P. S., Grine, F. E., & Teaford, M. F. (2008) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002044 · Cited by 320 · see citing works
Self-citationDiet of Paranthropus boisei in the early Pleistocene of East Africa
Cerling, T. E., Mbua, E. N., Kirera, F. M., Manthi, F. K., Grine, F. E., Leakey, M. G., Sponheimer, M., & Uno, K. T. (2011) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1104627108 · Cited by 316 · see citing works
Self-citationBrowsing and grazing in elephants: the isotope record of modern and fossil proboscideans
Cerling, T. E., Harris, J., & Leakey, M. G. (1999) · Oecologia · doi:10.1007/s004420050869 · Cited by 300 · see citing works
Australopithecus to Homo: Transformations in Body and Mind
McHenry, H. M., & Coffing, K. (2000) · Annual Review of Anthropology · doi:10.1146/annurev.anthro.29.1.125 · Cited by 296 · see citing works
The evolution of arid ecosystems in eastern Africa
Bobe, R. L. (2006) · Journal of Arid Environments · doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2006.01.010 · Cited by 295 · see citing works
Interpreting the diet of extinct ruminants: the case of a non-browsing giraffid
Solounias, N., Teaford, M. F., & Walker, A. (1988) · Paleobiology · doi:10.1017/s009483730001201x · Cited by 274 · see citing works
Dominy, N. J., Vogel, E. R., Yeakel, J. D., Constantino, P. J., & Lucas, P. W. (2008) · Evolutionary Biology · doi:10.1007/s11692-008-9026-7 · Cited by 254 · see citing works
The feeding biomechanics and dietary ecology of Australopithecus africanus
Strait, D. S., Weber, G. W., Neubauer, S., Chalk, J., Richmond, B. G., Lucas, P. W., Spencer, M. A., Schrein, C. M., Dechow, P. C., Ross, C. F., et al. (2009) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0808730106 · Cited by 250 · see citing works
Macrovertebrate Paleontology and the Pliocene Habitat of Ardipithecus ramidus
White, T. D., Ambrose, S. H., Suwa, G., Su, D. F., Degusta, D., Bernor, R. L., Boisserie, J., Brunet, M., Delson, E., Frost, S. R., et al. (2009) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1175822 · Cited by 249 · see citing works
Diet of Australopithecus robustus at Swartkrans from stable carbon isotopic analysis
Lee‐Thorp, J. A., van der Merwe, N. J., & Brain, C. K. (1994) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1006/jhev.1994.1050 · Cited by 242 · see citing works
The isotopic ecology of late Pleistocene mammals in North America
Koch, P. L., Hoppe, K. A., & Webb, S. D. (1998) · Chemical Geology · doi:10.1016/s0009-2541(98)00101-6 · Cited by 242 · see citing works
Isotopic Evidence for Dietary Variability in the Early Hominin Paranthropus robustus
Sponheimer, M., Passey, B. H., de Ruiter, D. J., Guatelli‐Steinberg, D., Cerling, T. E., & Lee‐Thorp, J. A. (2006) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1133827 · Cited by 237 · see citing works
Self-citationDental topography and diets of Australopithecus afarensis and early Homo
Ungar, P. S. (2004) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.03.004 · Cited by 230 · see citing works
Self-citationChimpanzees in a hot, dry and open habitat: Mt. Assirik, Senegal, West Africa
McGrew, W. C., Baldwin, P. J., & Tutin, C. E. G. (1981) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/s0047-2484(81)80061-9 · Cited by 220 · see citing works
Paleobiological Implications of the Ardipithecus ramidus Dentition
Suwa, G., Kono, R. T., Simpson, S. W., Asfaw, B., Lovejoy, C. O., & White, T. D. (2009) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1175824 · Cited by 206 · see citing works
Sponheimer, M., Lee‐Thorp, J. A., de Ruiter, D. J., Codron, D., Codron, J., Baugh, A. T., & Thackeray, F. (2005) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.11.008 · Cited by 205 · see citing works
Self-citationCompact bone distribution and biomechanics of early hominid mandibles
Daegling, D. J., & Grine, F. E. (1991) · American Journal of Physical Anthropology · doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330860302 · Cited by 198 · see citing works
Diet in EarlyHomo: A Review of the Evidence and a New Model of Adaptive Versatility
Ungar, P. S., Grine, F. E., & Teaford, M. F. (2006) · Annual Review of Anthropology · doi:10.1146/annurev.anthro.35.081705.123153 · Cited by 197 · see citing works
Self-citationvan der Merwe, N. J., Masao, F. T., & Bamford, M. K. (2008) · South African Journal of Science · Cited by 190 · see citing works
Mammal Teeth: Origin, Evolution, and Diversity
Ungar, P. S. (2010) · Cited by 186 · see citing works
Self-citationParanthropus boisei: Fifty years of evidence and analysis
Wood, B., & Constantino, P. J. (2007) · American Journal of Physical Anthropology · doi:10.1002/ajpa.20732 · Cited by 186 · see citing works
The hunters and the hunted revisited
Lee‐Thorp, J. A., Thackeray, F., & van der Merwe, N. J. (2000) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1006/jhev.2000.0436 · Cited by 176 · see citing works
Variations in enamel thickness and structure in East African hominids
Beynon, A. D., & Wood, B. A. (1986) · American Journal of Physical Anthropology · doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330700205 · Cited by 173 · see citing works
The carbon isotope ecology and diet of Australopithecus africanus at Sterkfontein, South Africa
van der Merwe, N. J., Thackeray, F., Lee‐Thorp, J. A., & Luyt, J. (2003) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/s0047-2484(03)00050-2 · Cited by 170 · see citing works
Do “savanna” chimpanzees consume C4 resources?
Sponheimer, M., Loudon, J. E., Codron, D., Howells, M. E., Pruetz, J. D., Codron, J., DERUITER, D., & Lee‐Thorp, J. A. (2006) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.02.002 · Cited by 162 · see citing works
Self-citationThe hominin fossil record: taxa, grades and clades
Wood, B. A., & Lonergan, N. (2008) · Journal of Anatomy · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7580.2008.00871.x · Cited by 149 · see citing works
Molar microwear textures and the diets of Australopithecus anamensis and Australopithecus afarensis
Ungar, P. S., Scott, R. S., Grine, F. E., & Teaford, M. F. (2010) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2010.0033 · Cited by 127 · see citing works
Self-citationDental microwear and diet in Venezuelan primates
Teaford, M. F., & Runestad, J. A. (1992) · American Journal of Physical Anthropology · doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330880308 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
Ungar, P. S., Krueger, K. L., Blumenschine, R. J., Njau, J. K., & Scott, R. S. (2011) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.04.006 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Self-citationHaig, D. (1999) · American Journal of Primatology · doi:10.1002/(sici)1098-2345(199912)49:4 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Models, predictions, and the fossil record of modern human origins
Relethford, J. H. (1999) · Evolutionary Anthropology Issues News and Reviews · doi:10.1002/(sici)1520-6505(1999)8:1 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Was the Early Pliocene hominin 'Australopithecus' anamensis a hard object feeder?
Grine, F. E., Ungar, P. S., & Teaford, M. F. (2006) · South African Journal of Science · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Self-citationFleagle, J. G. (1988) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-260340-2.50012-2 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Human Origins: The Fossil Record
Larsen, C. S. (1991) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Adaptation, Evolution, and Systematics
Fleagle, J. G. (1988) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-260340-2.50005-5 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Diet, microorganisms and their metabolites, and colon cancer
O'Keefe, S. J. D. (2016) · Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology · doi:10.1038/nrgastro.2016.165 · Cited by 1,100 · see citing works
Tett, A., Huang, K. D., Asnicar, F., Fehlner-Peach, H., Pasolli, E., Karcher, N., Armanini, F., Manghi, P., Bonham, K., Zolfo, M., et al. (2019) · Cell Host & Microbe · doi:10.1016/j.chom.2019.08.018 · Cited by 476 · see citing works
Mechanisms and causes of wear in tooth enamel: implications for hominin diets
Lucas, P. W., Omar, R., Al‐Fadhalah, K. J., Almusallam, A. S., Henry, A. G., Michael, S., Thai, L. A., Watzke, J., Strait, D. S., & Atkins, A. G. (2013) · Journal of The Royal Society Interface · doi:10.1098/rsif.2012.0923 · Cited by 300 · see citing works
The Importance of Dietary Carbohydrate in Human Evolution
Hardy, K., Brand-Miller, J. C., Brown, K. D., Thomas, M., & Copeland, L. (2015) · The Quarterly Review of Biology · doi:10.1086/682587 · Cited by 224 · see citing works
The diet of Australopithecus sediba
Henry, A. G., Ungar, P. S., Passey, B. H., Sponheimer, M., Rossouw, L., Bamford, M. K., Sandberg, P., de Ruiter, D. J., & Berger, L. R. (2012) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature11185 · Cited by 191 · see citing works
Self-citationBone morphologies and histories: Life course approaches in bioarchaeology
Agarwal, S. C. (2016) · American Journal of Physical Anthropology · doi:10.1002/ajpa.22905 · Cited by 173 · see citing works
Variation in enamel thickness within the genus Homo
Smith, T. M., Olejniczak, A. J., Zermeno, J. P., Tafforeau, P., Skinner, M. M., Hoffmann, A., Radovčić, J., Toussaint, M., Kruszynski, R., Menter, C., et al. (2012) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.12.004 · Cited by 139 · see citing works
Polypotency of the immunomodulatory effect of pectins
Popov, S. V., & Ovodov, Y. S. (2013) · Biochemistry (Moscow) · doi:10.1134/s0006297913070134 · Cited by 131 · see citing works
Origins and Evolution of Genus Homo
Antón, S. C., & Snodgrass, J. J. (2012) · Current Anthropology · doi:10.1086/667692 · Cited by 130 · see citing works
Selective Social Learning of Plant Edibility in 6- and 18-Month-Old Infants
Wertz, A. E., & Wynn, K. (2014) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797613516145 · Cited by 126 · see citing works
Micromechanics of machining and wear in hard and brittle materials
Lawn, B. R., Borrero‐López, Ó., Han Huang, A., & Zhang, Y. (2020) · Journal of the American Ceramic Society · doi:10.1111/jace.17502 · Cited by 126 · see citing works
Is the “Savanna Hypothesis” a Dead Concept for Explaining the Emergence of the Earliest Hominins?
Domínguez‐Rodrigo, M. (2013) · Current Anthropology · doi:10.1086/674530 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Economy and Endurance in Human Evolution
Pontzer, H. (2017) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2017.05.031 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Isotopic evidence for an early shift to C 4 resources by Pliocene hominins in Chad
Lee‐Thorp, J. A., Likius, A., Mackaye, H. T., Vignaud, P., Sponheimer, M., & Brunet, M. (2012) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1204209109 · Cited by 124 · see citing works
Self-citationViewpoints: Diet and dietary adaptations in early hominins: The hard food perspective
Strait, D. S., Constantino, P. J., Lucas, P. W., Richmond, B. G., Spencer, M. A., Dechow, P. C., Ross, C. F., Grosse, I. R., Wright, B. W., Wood, B. A., et al. (2013) · American Journal of Physical Anthropology · doi:10.1002/ajpa.22285 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
A two-million-year-long hydroclimatic context for hominin evolution in southeastern Africa
Caley, T., Extier, T., Collins, J. A., Schefuß, E., Dupont, L. M., Malaizé, B., Rossignol, L., Souron, A., McClymont, E. L., Jiménez-Espejo, F. J., et al. (2018) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0309-6 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
Fashing, P. J., Nguyen, N., Venkataraman, V. V., & Kerby, J. T. (2014) · American Journal of Physical Anthropology · doi:10.1002/ajpa.22559 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
Innovative Approaches to the Relationship Between Diet and Mandibular Morphology in Primates
Ross, C. F., Iriarte-Díaz, J., & Nunn, C. L. (2012) · International Journal of Primatology · doi:10.1007/s10764-012-9599-y · Cited by 119 · see citing works
The Feeding Biomechanics and Dietary Ecology of P aranthropus boisei
Smith, A. L., Benazzi, S., Ledogar, J. A., Tamvada, K., Smith, L. C. P., Weber, G. W., Spencer, M. A., Lucas, P. W., Michael, S., Shekeban, A., et al. (2014) · The Anatomical Record · doi:10.1002/ar.23073 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
Nature’s design solutions in dental enamel: Uniting high strength and extreme damage resistance
Wilmers, J., & Bargmann, S. (2020) · Acta Biomaterialia · doi:10.1016/j.actbio.2020.02.019 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Occasional, obligatory, and habitual stone tool use in hominin evolution
Shea, J. J. (2017) · Evolutionary Anthropology Issues News and Reviews · doi:10.1002/evan.21547 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
Molecular Mechanism of Functional Ingredients in Barley to Combat Human Chronic Diseases
Zeng, Y., Pu, X., Du, J., Yang, X., Li, X., Mandal, M. S. N., Yang, T., & Yang, J.-Z. (2020) · Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity · doi:10.1155/2020/3836172 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
Oelze, V. M., Head, J. S., Robbins, M. M., Richards, M. P., & Boesch, C. (2013) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.10.003 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
The meat of the matter: an evolutionary perspective on human carnivory
Domínguez‐Rodrigo, M., & Pickering, T. R. (2017) · Azania Archaeological Research in Africa · doi:10.1080/0067270x.2016.1252066 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
The evolutionary history of the human face
Lacruz, R. S., Stringer, C. B., Kimbel, W. H., Wood, B., Harvati, K., O’Higgins, P., Bromage, T. G., & Arsuaga, J.-L. (2019) · Nature Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1038/s41559-019-0865-7 · Cited by 108 · see citing works
Protective buttressing of the hominin face
Carrier, D. R., & Morgan, M. H. (2014) · Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society · doi:10.1111/brv.12112 · Cited by 102 · see citing works
The evolution of the human trophic level during the Pleistocene
Ben‐Dor, M., Sirtoli, R., & Barkai, R. (2021) · American Journal of Physical Anthropology · doi:10.1002/ajpa.24247 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Wear of ceramic-based dental materials
Borrero‐López, Ó., Guiberteau, F., Zhang, Y., & Lawn, B. R. (2019) · Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials/Journal of mechanical behavior of biomedical materials · doi:10.1016/j.jmbbm.2019.01.009 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
McGrew, W. C. (2014) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.07.016 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Thyme to touch: Infants possess strategies that protect them from dangers posed by plants
Wertz, A. E., & Wynn, K. (2013) · Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2013.09.002 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Psychedelics, Sociality, and Human Evolution
Rodríguez Arce, J. M., & Winkelman, M. J. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.729425 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Teeth and Human Life-History Evolution
Smith, T. M. (2013) · Annual Review of Anthropology · doi:10.1146/annurev-anthro-092412-155550 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Elemental signatures of Australopithecus africanus teeth reveal seasonal dietary stress
Joannes-boyau, R. C., Adams, J. W., Austin, C. E., Arora, M., Moffat, I., Herries, A. I. R., Tonge, M. P., Benazzi, S., Evans, A. R., Kullmer, O., et al. (2019) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1370-5 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Towards a prehistory of primates
Haslam, M. (2012) · Antiquity · doi:10.1017/s0003598x00062773 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Enamel thickness trends in Plio-Pleistocene hominin mandibular molars
Skinner, M. M., Alemseged, Z., Gaunitz, C., & Hublin, J. (2015) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.03.012 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Magnesium stable isotope ecology using mammal tooth enamel
Martin, J. E., Vance, D., & Balter, V. (2014) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1417792112 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Potential of non-traditional isotope studies for bioarchaeology
Jaouen, K., & Pons, M. (2016) · Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences · doi:10.1007/s12520-016-0426-9 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Diet of Theropithecus from 4 to 1 Ma in Kenya
Cerling, T. E., Chritz, K. L., Jablonski, N. G., Leakey, M. G., & Manthi, F. K. (2013) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1222571110 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Dominy, N. J. (2012) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1218081110 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Extant ape dental topography and its implications for reconstructing the emergence of early Homo
Berthaume, M. A., & Schroer, K. (2017) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.09.001 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Turner, B. L., & Thompson, A. L. (2013) · Nutrition Reviews · doi:10.1111/nure.12039 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Copeland, L., & Hardy, K. (2018) · Agronomy · doi:10.3390/agronomy8010004 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Dávid-Barrett, T., & Dunbar, R. I. M. (2016) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.02.006 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Zanolli, C., Bondioli, L., Coppa, A., Dean, C., Bayle, P., Candilio, F., Capuani, S., Dreossi, D., Fiore, I., Frayer, D. W., et al. (2014) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.04.005 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Elsner, C., & Wertz, A. E. (2019) · Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2018.09.016 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Improved age control on early Homo fossils from the upper Burgi Member at Koobi Fora, Kenya
Joordens, J. C. A., Dupont‐Nivet, G., Feibel, C. S., Spoor, F., Sier, M. J., van der Lubbe, J. J. L., Nielsen, T. K., Knul, M. V., Davies, G. R., & Vonhof, H. (2013) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.09.002 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Unravelling the Functional Biomechanics of Dental Features and Tooth Wear
Benazzi, S., Nguyễn, H. N., Kullmer, O., & Hublin, J. (2013) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0069990 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Leichliter, J. N., Lüdecke, T., Foreman, A., Duprey, N., Winkler, D., Kast, E. R., Vonhof, H., Sigman, D. M., Haug, G. H., Clauß, M., et al. (2020) · Chemical Geology · doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2020.120047 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Every rose has its thorn: Infants' responses to pointed shapes in naturalistic contexts
Włodarczyk, A., Elsner, C., Schmitterer, A. M. A., & Wertz, A. E. (2018) · Evolution and Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2018.06.001 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
In vivo rates of dental microwear formation in laboratory primates fed different food items
Teaford, M. F., Ungar, P. S., Taylor, A. B., Ross, C. F., & Vinyard, C. J. (2017) · Biosurface and Biotribology · doi:10.1016/j.bsbt.2017.11.005 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Self-citationPaleoproteomic study of the Iceman’s brain tissue
Maixner, F., Overath, T., Linke, D., Janko, M., Guerriero, G., van den Berg, B. H. J., Stade, B., Leidinger, P., Backes, C., Jaremek, M., et al. (2013) · Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences · doi:10.1007/s00018-013-1360-y · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Mechanics of microwear traces in tooth enamel
Borrero‐López, Ó., Pajares, A., Constantino, P. J., & Lawn, B. R. (2014) · Acta Biomaterialia · doi:10.1016/j.actbio.2014.11.047 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
McGraw, W. S., Vick, A. E., & Daegling, D. J. (2014) · American Journal of Physical Anthropology · doi:10.1002/ajpa.22525 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Drummond‐Clarke, R. C., Kivell, T. L., Sarringhaus, L. A., Stewart, F. A., Humle, T., & Stewart, A. P. F. S. A. P. F. (2022) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.add9752 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
A model for predicting wear rates in tooth enamel
Borrero‐López, Ó., Pajares, A., Constantino, P. J., & Lawn, B. R. (2014) · Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials/Journal of mechanical behavior of biomedical materials · doi:10.1016/j.jmbbm.2014.05.023 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Dental topography and the diet of Homo naledi
Berthaume, M. A., Delezene, L. K., & Kupczik, K. (2018) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.02.006 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Barboni, D. (2014) · Quaternary International · doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2014.01.016 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Sayers, K., & Lovejoy, C. O. (2014) · The Quarterly Review of Biology · doi:10.1086/678568 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Reconstructing the Diet of an Extinct Hominin Taxon: The Role of Extant Primate Models
Wood, B. A., & Schroer, K. (2012) · International Journal of Primatology · doi:10.1007/s10764-012-9602-7 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Dental microwear texture analysis of Homo sapiens sapiens: Foragers, farmers, and pastoralists
Schmidt, C. W., Remy, A., Sessen, R. V., Willman, J. C., Krueger, K. L., Scott, R. M., Mahoney, P., Beach, J. J., McKinley, J. I., D’Anastasio, R., et al. (2019) · American Journal of Physical Anthropology · doi:10.1002/ajpa.23815 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
An Evolutionary Developmental Approach to Cultural Evolution
Andersson, C., Törnberg, A., & Törnberg, P. (2014) · Current Anthropology · doi:10.1086/675692 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
The evolutionary path of least resistance
Ungar, P. S., & Hlusko, L. J. (2016) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.aaf8398 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Self-citationFrank, H. E. R., Amato, K., Trautwein, M., Maia, P. D., Liman, E. R., Nichols, L. M., Schwenk, K., Breslin, P. A. S., & Dunn, R. R. (2022) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2021.1918 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Utsuno, H., Oka, K., Yamamoto, A., & Shiozawa, T. (2013) · Fertility and Sterility · doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.01.100 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Hard plant tissues do not contribute meaningfully to dental microwear: evolutionary implications
van Casteren, A., Strait, D. S., Swain, M. V., Michael, S., Thai, L. A., Philip, S. M., Saji, S., Al‐Fadhalah, K. J., Almusallam, A. S., Shekeban, A., et al. (2020) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-019-57403-w · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Kuipers, R. S., Joordens, J. C. A., & Muskiet, F. A. J. (2012) · Nutrition Research Reviews · doi:10.1017/s0954422412000017 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Should animal fats be back on the table? A critical review of the human health effects of animal fat
Barendse, W. (2014) · Animal Production Science · doi:10.1071/an13536 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Evidence for habitual climbing in a Pleistocene hominin in South Africa
Georgiou, L., Dunmore, C. J., Bardo, A., Buck, L. T., Hublin, J., Pahr, D. H., Stratford, D., Synek, A., Kivell, T. L., & Skinner, M. M. (2020) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1914481117 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Reappraising the palaeobiology of Australopithecus
Alemseged, Z. (2023) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-023-05957-1 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Social information reduces infants’ avoidance of plants
Włodarczyk, A., Rioux, C., & Wertz, A. E. (2020) · Cognitive Development · doi:10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100867 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Williams, A. C., Hill, L. J., & Ramsden, D. B. (2012) · Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research · doi:10.1155/2012/302875 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Ravosa, M. J., Scott, J. E., McAbee, K. R., Veit, A. J., & Fling, A. L. (2015) · PeerJ · doi:10.7717/peerj.1345 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Anxiety, disgust and negative emotions influence food intake in humans
Randler, C., Desch, I. H., Kampe, V. O. I., Wüst-Ackermann, P., Wilde, M., & Prokop, P. (2016) · International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science · doi:10.1016/j.ijgfs.2016.11.005 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Smith, A. L., Benazzi, S., Ledogar, J. A., Tamvada, K., Smith, L. C. P., Weber, G. W., Spencer, M. A., Dechow, P. C., Grosse, I. R., Ross, C. F., et al. (2014) · The Anatomical Record · doi:10.1002/ar.23074 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Dental Surface Texture Characterization Based on Erosive Tooth Wear Processes
Hara, A. T., Livengood, S. V., Lippert, F., Eckert, G. J., & Ungar, P. S. (2016) · Journal of Dental Research · doi:10.1177/0022034516629941 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Self-citationFiorenza, L. (2015) · PubMed · doi:10.4436/jass.93002 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Meeting report: a hard look at the state of enamel research
Klein, O. D., Duverger, O., Shaw, W. J., Lacruz, R. S., Joester, D., Moradian‐Oldak, J., Pugach, M. K., Wright, J. T., Millar, S. E., Kulkarni, A. B., et al. (2017) · International Journal of Oral Science · doi:10.1038/ijos.2017.40 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Shapiro, A. E., Venkataraman, V. V., Nguyen, N., & Fashing, P. J. (2016) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.05.010 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Preparation and use of varied natural tools for extractive foraging by bonobos (Pan Paniscus)
Roffman, I., Savage‐Rumbaugh, S., Rubert‐Pugh, E., Stadler, A., Avraham, R., & Nevo, E. (2015) · American Journal of Physical Anthropology · doi:10.1002/ajpa.22778 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Bolduc, F. V., Lau, A., Rosenfelt, C. S., Langer, S., Wang, N., Smithson, L., Lefebvre, D. L., Alexander, R. T., Dickson, C. T., Li, L., et al. (2016) · EBioMedicine · doi:10.1016/j.ebiom.2016.04.025 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
How does tooth cusp radius of curvature affect brittle food item processing?
Berthaume, M. A., Dumont, E. R., Godfrey, L. R., & Grosse, I. R. (2013) · Journal of The Royal Society Interface · doi:10.1098/rsif.2013.0240 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
van Casteren, A., Lucas, P. W., Strait, D. S., Michael, S., Bierwisch, N., Schwarzer, N., Al‐Fadhalah, K. J., Almusallam, A. S., Thai, L. A., Saji, S., et al. (2018) · Royal Society Open Science · doi:10.1098/rsos.171699 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Singleton, M. (2012) · Evolutionary Biology · doi:10.1007/s11692-011-9153-4 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Constantino, P. J., Borrero‐López, Ó., Pajares, A., & Lawn, B. R. (2015) · BioEssays · doi:10.1002/bies.201500094 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Grass leaves as potential hominin dietary resources
Paine, O., Koppa, A., Henry, A. G., Leichliter, J. N., Codron, D., Codron, J., Lambert, J. E., & Sponheimer, M. (2018) · Journal of Human Evolution · doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.10.013 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Self-citationShifting Climates, Foods, and Diseases: The Human Microbiome through Evolution
Amato, K. R., Jeyakumar, T., Poinar, H. N., & Gros, P. (2019) · BioEssays · doi:10.1002/bies.201900034 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Frost, G. S., Walton, G., Swann, J. R., Psichas, A., Costabile, A., Johnson, L. P., Sponheimer, M., Gibson, G. R., & Barraclough, T. G. (2014) · mBio · doi:10.1128/mbio.00853-14 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Self-citationMihlbachler, M. C., Campbell, D., Ayoub, M., Chen, C., & Ghani, I. (2015) · Paleobiology · doi:10.1017/pab.2015.33 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Human and Nonhuman Primate Lineage-Specific Footprints in the Salivary Proteome
Thamadilok, S., Choi, K., Ruhl, L., Schulte, F., Kazim, A. L., Hardt, M., Gökçümen, Ö., & Rühl, S. (2019) · Molecular Biology and Evolution · doi:10.1093/molbev/msz223 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Eerkens, J. W., Mackie, M. E., & Bartelink, E. J. (2013) · Journal of Archaeological Science · doi:10.1016/j.jas.2013.03.023 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Burini, R. C., & Leonard, W. R. (2018) · Nutrire · doi:10.1186/s41110-018-0078-x · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Dental microwear differences between eastern and southern African fossil bovids and hominins
Ungar, P. S., Scott, J. R., & Steininger, C. (2016) · South African Journal of Science · doi:10.17159/sajs.2016/20150393 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Self-citationDominguez, L. J., Bes‐Rastrollo, M., Toledo, E., Gea, A., Fresán, U., Barbagallo, M., & Martínez‐González, M. Á. (2018) · European Journal of Nutrition · doi:10.1007/s00394-018-1846-3 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Dental Allometry in Mammals: A Retrospective
Ungar, P. S. (2014) · Annales Zoologici Fennici · doi:10.5735/086.051.0218 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Self-citationOn the evolutionary advantage of multi-cusped teeth
Constantino, P. J., Bush, M. B., Barani, A., & Lawn, B. R. (2016) · Journal of The Royal Society Interface · doi:10.1098/rsif.2016.0374 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Sun, F., Wang, Y., Wang, Y., Jin, C., Deng, T., & Wolff, B. (2019) · Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology · doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2019.03.021 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Teaford, M. F., Ungar, P. S., Taylor, A. B., Ross, C. F., & Vinyard, C. J. (2020) · American Journal of Physical Anthropology · doi:10.1002/ajpa.24000 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Self-citationProkop, P., & Fančovičová, J. (2018) · Journal of Biological Education · doi:10.1080/00219266.2018.1501405 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Will Muslim consumers replace livestock slaughter with cultured meat in the market?
Hamdan, M. N., Ramli, M. A., Huri, N. M. F. Z., Rahman, N. N. H. A., & Abdullah, A. (2021) · Trends in Food Science & Technology · doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2021.01.034 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Teaford, M. F., Ross, C. F., Ungar, P. S., Vinyard, C. J., & Laird, M. F. (2021) · Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology · doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2021.110644 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Ungar, P. S., & Sponheimer, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (US)
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- Corresponding author
- Ungar, Peter S.
- Sponheimer, Matt
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2011-10-14
- Volume
- 334
- Issue
- 6053
- Pages
- 190-193
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2067032586
- Cited by
- 269
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 15 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 17
- FWCI
- 56.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Keywords
- dietary change, dental microwear, stable isotope analysis, hard-object feeding, C4 plants, Australopithecus, Paranthropus, hominin evolution
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Carbon Isotopes, Dental Enamel, Dentition, Diet, Biological Evolution, Food, Fossils, Jaw, Skull, Tooth, Hominidae, Ecosystem, Tooth Wear
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review