Cited by 269Pleistocene-Era Hominins and ArchaeologyPrimate Behavior and EcologyEvolution and Paleontology Studies

The Diets of Early Hominins

Ungar, Peter S., Sponheimer, Matt·2011·Science

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.

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Crossref · 10.1126/science.1207701

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  • 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]

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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

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