Did early man eat mostly meat?

Question

A new study of 28,000-year-old human bones suggests the ancient man ate meat - lots of it, and very little else.

"Their diet was about 90 percent meat," said a scientist in England. A lifestyle so centered on meat means that the early man was able to organize complex hunts that brought down big and dangerous game.

The researchers probed the diet of early man by measuring the isotopic ratios of nitrogen in skulls and jawbones recovered from a cave in Croatia.

"Our bones record the isotope signatures of the foods we have eaten in our lifetimes," another scientist said in a statement. "By measuring these isotope signatures in fossil bones, we can reconstruct aspects of the diets."

Bones formed from a diet rich in meat contain a high ratio of an isotope called nitrogen-15, Trinkaus said. The nitrogen-15 ratio of Neanderthal, he said, was almost like that of an African lion, which means a diet of meat and almost nothing else.

veito da costa, I totally agree with you. We as humans have incisors because it is meant for us to eat meat.

Eavaya, I totally agree with you. This is clear proof that we as humans were meant to eat meat.

Answer 1

If you want to give scientific proof of a fact, you have to rely on real facts and not just single out and alter the parts that are convenient for you.
Said article states:

"Neanderthal-like hominids first appeared in Europe, probably migrating from Africa, around 300,000 years ago, Pettitt said. The "classic" period of Neanderthal presence in Europe started about 120,000 years ago. By about 28,000 years ago, the Neanderthal was gone from the fossil record, he said.
Modern humans arrived in Europe about 32,000 years ago, about 4,000 years before the Neanderthal disappeared.
Some experts have suggested the more primitive Neanderthal was simply overwhelmed and outhunted by his more sophisticated cousin. Others say the Neanderthal was biologically absorbed by early modern humans and disappeared as a distinct and separate species.
Trinkaus said the new study does not settle that debate, but it does show the Neanderthal was not just simple, stupid and brutish.
'This study implies a much higher degree of social organization complexity than is frequently attributed to the Neanderthals. They were much more equal to modern humans in many ways.'
One big difference, though, was diet.
Studies of bones from the early modern humans in Europe suggest they had a more varied diet, eating smaller animals, such as rabbits, and lots of fish - up to 30 percent of their diet."

So, we are not talking about the "early man" here, but about Neanderthals.
And if you read again more carefully, it states that early humans
only included 30% of meat into their diet.

Answer 2

Well, early humans and even humans today survive on diets of mainly "meat". But they ate pretty much the ENTIRE animal. This way vitamins and other nutrients are consumed as well. This icludes OFFAL the internal organs and entrails of the animal, this is where most of the nutrients are and the "meat" or muscle provides mainly the protein. A diet consisting of mainly "meat" or muscle is deficient in vitamins and nutrients and will result in malnutrition and ultimately death. As for the Neanderthals, there was one study that explored the idea that they didnt DIE OUT but were BRED OUT. The study was initiated by the discovery of skeletal remains that had attributes from both Neanderthal and Homosapiens in an area where both Neanderthal and Homosapiens are believed to have existed at the same time.

Answer 3

Yes early humans such as Neanderthals are believed to have had a high meat diet but this was not because they-like you-believed eating meat was right.It was because they had no choice.They lived during the ice age when summers were short and plant food was unavailable for most of the year.

Other primitive human societies had the same problem because of seasons or living in dry areas.It is only in recent years that world trade has meant fresh plant food is available to us all year round.

But having to eat meat isn't the same as it being the healthiest diet-few Neanderthal's and early modern humans are believed to have lived beyond their mid 30's and this may well be in part due to such an unbalanced diet.

If you ask a nutritionist you will be told that there is little chance of you living a healthy life on a 90% meat diet.On the other hand you can live a very healthy life on a totally meat free diet.Surely that proves that although we may be capable of digesting meat we are really built to live on plants!

Early human societies may have had a culture that placed high value on hunting but they also believed in human sacrifice.Do you think we should still do that too?

This is 2007 foxie not 2000BC we now have the choice of what diet we eat so let people enjoy the diet of their choice-even if it is your hated vegan diet!

Answer 4

Maybe you are right, but I would have to agree with "Cat lover" on the fire. Did you also know that they are able to tell from the teeth and bones the age that the human died at? The oldest one they have found died at age 50, most died at age 30 to 40 as "Vegan and proud" said.

Because of early mans short lifespan, you better find some new evidence that early man was a vegetarian, for your new case against vegetarianism. See you next time (=

Answer 5

You have asked this one before. Neanderthals ate it and they all DIED OUT (allegedly). Cro-magnons ate both and were omnivores . Omnivore means that we have the unique ability to eat flesh and veggies. We can survive on either or both but eating just meat can cause more diseases and serious cancers . Vegetarian and vegan diets reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease SIGNIFICANTLY!!!!

Vegan and proud said it all, short sweet and to the point . What a clever young 'un he is!! Andy B is insulting everyone just like you do - are you the same person?

Answer 6

its obvious you get off on imposing your views on other people. Let me save you some effort, you dumb@ss. No matter HOW MUCH you spew your useless info in this section, you WILL NOT convert any of us veggies to your way of assinine thinking. We do NOT have incisor teeth. We have a majority of flat teeth, like all other vegetarian creatures. If we were "designed" to eat meat, we would have the capacity to stalk it, catch it, kill it, and eat it in its raw form. The simple fact is, that if YOU had to go out and catch, slaughter, butcher your own meat, and dispose of the remains of the animal, you would not be equiped to do so, and would likely become a vegetarian if you couldnt walk into Publix and buy a piece of dead animal. Piss off, you idiot

Answer 7

The reason that the human species has survived so successfully over all other animals is that it has adapted to different diets, which has enabled it to survive on the predominant or seasonal food that becomes available. This may be meat in some cases in others its fish and elsewhere a combination of meat,fish and vegetables. So my answer is that in certain parts of the world early man possibly only ate meat but in other parts he will will have eaten fish or what ever else was available.

Answer 8

It entirely depends on the location, in Anglo - Saxon and early medieval England the poorer individuals ate very little meat and consumed a diet primarily of grain and vegetables. Yet in other societies where pastoralism was favoured more meat products would have been consumed

Answer 9

Early man ate fruit and berries and nuts because that was all he was able to 'catch'. Anyone who tells you any different is wishful thinking and full of crap.

Answer 10

not onl;y ancient man but lok at the native Eskimos about 60 70 years ago ...they ate mostly meat fish etc ... and were very healthy .....and most of it was eaten raw....