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  1. Health and Nutrition News

  2. Jan 26, 2022

Consumption of Meat Did Not Influence Development of the Human Brain

Meat consumption did not foster human brain development, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers analyzed archaeological data from sites in eastern Africa, finding that meat consumption did not increase over time and suggests other reasons for increased anatomical size and behavioral changes in early Homo erectus. These findings contradict the myth that meat consumption led to anatomical changes in early humans. 

References

Barr WA, Pobiner B, Rowan J, Du A, Faith JT. No sustained increase in zooarchaeological evidence for carnivory after the appearance of Homo erectus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022;119(5):e2115540119. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2115540119

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