The Evolution of Human Nutrition
Leslie Aiello, The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research (retired)
Margaret Schoeninger, University of California, San Diego
Tracing the evolution of the human diet from our earliest ancestors can lead to a better understanding of human adaptation in the past. It may also offer clues to the origin of many health problems that we currently face, such as obesity and chronic disease. The CARTA public symposium on "The Evolution of Human Nutrition" brought together scientists from a wide variety of backgrounds to explore the diets of our ancestors. What did early humans eat? Were the nutritional requirements and dietary needs of contemporary humans established in our prehistoric past? At this symposium, a lively discussion took place about the changing diets of our ancestors - from australopith diets to current hunter-gatherer diets - and what role these dietary transitions played in the evolution of humans.
Event Sessions
Media for each talk can be played by clicking on icons in the "Media" column, or by clicking on the individual talk titles below and then the attachment file at the bottom of the page.
| Media | Session | Speakers |
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Welcome and Opening Remarks |
Margaret Schoeninger, University of California, San Diego Ajit Varki, UC San Diego School of Medicine |
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Background and Overview | Leslie Aiello, The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research (retired) |
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Diets and Microbes in Primates | Steven Leigh, University of Colorado, Boulder |
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Current Hunter-Gatherer Diets | Alyssa Crittenden, University of Nevada, Las Vegas |
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Australopith Diets | Peter Ungar, University of Arkansas |
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Fire, Starch, Meat, and Honey | Richard Wrangham, Harvard University |
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Neanderthal Diets |
Alison Brooks, George Washington University Margaret Schoeninger, University of California, San Diego |
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Archaic Human Diets | Mary Stiner, University of Arizona |
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Agriculture's Impact on Human Evolution | Clark Larsen, Ohio State University |
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Impact of Globalization on Children's Nutrition | Barry Bogin, Loughborough University |
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Question and Answer Session and Closing Remarks |
Leslie Aiello, The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research (retired) Pascal Gagneux, University of California, San Diego Margaret Schoeninger, University of California, San Diego |
Support Opportunities
- Gifts: We invite you to partner with us in CARTA’s quest to explore and explain the human phenomenon. CARTA connects us all – scientists and philosophers, students and teachers, people with questions and others with answers. The global CARTA community grows with each lecture that is experienced and passed forward via FREE access to UCSD-TV broadcasts and archived videos on multiple websites. Please email khunter@ucsd.edu for support opportunities, which have been modified due to the virtual format.
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| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 Nutrition Poster CARTA.jpg | 866.45 KB |
 PARKING map dec2012.pdf | 343.64 KB |
| Abstracts DEC2012.pdf | 792.32 KB |
| Biosketches DEC2012.pdf | 476.7 KB |
