Teeth, witnesses of food

2000/04/18 Roa Zubia, Guillermo - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Paleontologia
• Arkeologia

When he began to eat meat, he did not have to adapt physiology, but technology

The feeding of the first human beings can be studied in the fossils of the teeth. It is a common study in paleoanthropology. Some fossilized teeth taken in Tanzania are analyzed.

The anthropologist of the University of Arkansas, Peter Ungar, has discovered the oldest proof of the use of teeth so far seen. The discovery took place in Tanzania, in a ravine of the Olduvai Gorge. According to the researcher, this can help in the studies of the feeding of ancient human beings. Ungar has now presented his signals at the American Association of Physical Antropology.

Peter Ungar and Fred Grine, in Arkansas; Mark Teaford, at Johns Hopkins University, and Alejandro Pérez, at the University of Barcelona, analyze the teeth to clarify the evolution of the feeding of the genus Homo. In addition, this type of research and current diet-related health problems can be related.

Visible remains

The teeth were removed from the Tanzanian site by anthropologist Mary Leakey. Once the dating was made, they saw it was 1.8 million years ago. Ungar and his companions were cleaned. During the work they saw rare clues on the surface of the fossil. Tracks were observed in specific microscopes. They were small and parallel lines.

These marks evidenced that the man of yesteryear tried to put some sharp instrument between the teeth. According to Ungar, they are the first traces of the use of the table stick. It had to be a very demanding tool to provoke this kind of lines. Probably for this work, pieces of bones or precious stones would be used. The use of the chopsticks has been found only in the genus Homo. «I see no other reason to leave these signals in the teeth», says Ungar «Human behavior is totally, of the genus Homo».

This behavior is not seen in the current monkeys. Chimpanzees sometimes use sticks to do something else, but not sticks to do the job. Ungar believes that these instruments like sticks began to be used in the human diet, where meat was added. Scientists have found evidence of this human flesh in bones, that is, cuts have been observed in the bones of the eating animals.

Already realized the habit

On this occasion, the oldest proof of meat eating has been found and, in addition, it can be said that the amount of meat ingested should be high, since this type of signals only leave for the custom that lasts a long time. Our teeth are not designed to eat meat. Therefore, our ancestors would have to use the chopsticks.

In the Atapuerca site, eroded teeth have also been located and studied. It should be noted that the finding of this site is not so old, but it is the oldest in Europe. Meat was essential for dealing with the harsh European climatology. It is evident in the teeth found. However, other uses have also been observed in the dentures of the men of Atapuerca. For example, human beings used the front teeth to work the leather.