The Evolution of Human Nutrition
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.
| Date | Media | Session Title | Speakers | Abstract | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 12/7 |
 |
Welcome and Opening Remarks | Margaret Schoeninger, Ajit Varki | UCSD - Price Center, East Ballroom | |
| Fri 12/7 |
|
Background and Overview | Leslie Aiello |
The evolution of human nutrition has gained general prominence in recent years through the popularity of the paleolithic diet that is also popularly referred to as the paleodiet, caveman diet or... more |
UCSD - Price Center, East Ballroom |
| Fri 12/7 |
|
Diets and Microbes in Primates | Steven Leigh |
Human microbiomes, or communities consisting of the microorganisms that live in, on, and around us, have profound effects on health, disease, and normal host function. The intestinal microbiome is... more |
UCSD - Price Center, East Ballroom |
| Fri 12/7 |
|
Current Hunter-Gatherer Diets | Alyssa Crittenden |
The diet composition of hunter-gatherer populations continues to be implicated in the reconstruction of dietary models and social behavior of early members of the genus Homo. Diet has been linked... more |
UCSD - Price Center, East Ballroom |
| Fri 12/7 |
|
Australopith Diets | Peter Ungar |
Robert Atkins wrote in The New Diet Revolution of our ancestors “eating the fish and animals that scampered and swam around him, and the fruits and vegetables and berries that grew nearby.” This... more |
UCSD - Price Center, East Ballroom |
| Fri 12/7 |
|
Fire, Starch, Meat, and Honey | Richard Wrangham |
Unlike all other free-living animals, human populations need to eat much of their food cooked. When and why this evolutionary commitment to the control of fire began is a fascinating evolutionary... more |
UCSD - Price Center, East Ballroom |
| Fri 12/7 |
|
Neanderthal Diets | Alison Brooks, Margaret Schoeninger |
Neanderthals present an enigma for which there is no consensus about their cognitive and behavioral capacities compared to those of anatomically modern humans. With regards to nutrition,... more |
UCSD - Price Center, East Ballroom |
| Fri 12/7 |
|
Archaic Human Diets | Mary Stiner |
What is the legacy of the human ecological footprint in deep time, and how might this legacy relate to the evolution of human social and energy networks? At least three major transitions can be... more |
UCSD - Price Center, East Ballroom |
| Fri 12/7 |
|
Agriculture's Impact on Human Evolution | Clark Larsen |
Beginning some ten to twelve thousand years ago, fully modern Homo sapiens began to alter their diets in ways that would profoundly impact their lives and livelihoods on a global scale. Starting... more |
UCSD - Price Center, East Ballroom |
| Fri 12/7 |
|
Impact of Globalization on Children's Nutrition | Barry Bogin |
Globalization is, in part, an economic force to bring about a closer integration of national economies. Food globalization brings about nutritional transitions. The most common transition today is... more |
UCSD - Price Center, East Ballroom |
| Fri 12/7 | Wrap-up | Leslie Aiello | UCSD - Price Center, East Ballroom | ||
| Fri 12/7 |
|
Question and Answer Session and Closing Remarks | Leslie Aiello, Pascal Gagneux, Margaret Schoeninger | UCSD - Price Center, East Ballroom |
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 Nutrition Poster_for download.jpg | 866.45 KB |
 PARKING map dec2012.pdf | 343.64 KB |
| Abstracts DEC2012.pdf | 792.32 KB |
| Biosketches DEC2012.pdf | 476.7 KB |
