Humans today live in a wide range of environments from the iciest to the hottest, thanks to diversecultural solutions that buffer temperature extremes. The prehistory of this relationship... Show moreHumans today live in a wide range of environments from the iciest to the hottest, thanks to diversecultural solutions that buffer temperature extremes. The prehistory of this relationship betweenhuman distribution, cultural solutions and temperature conditions may help us to understand theevolution of human biological adaptations to cold temperature. Fire has long been seen as animportant factor in human evolution and range expansion, particularly into temperate latitudes.Nevertheless, the earliest evidence for hominin presence in Eurasia, and middle latitudes innorthern Europe, substantially predates convincing evidence for fire use in these regions. Thisreview outlines the current state of knowledge of the chronology of hominin dispersal intotemperate latitudes, from the earliest occupants to our own species, and the archeological evidencefor fire use. Given continuing disagreement about this chronology and limitations to thearcheological evidence, new, complementary approaches are worthwhile and would benefit frominformation from studies of current human temperature regulation. Show less
Diets and food are indisputably core facets of human society. The great apes still rely on plants to supply most of their nutritional needs. Humans, however consume a diet that is nearly... Show moreDiets and food are indisputably core facets of human society. The great apes still rely on plants to supply most of their nutritional needs. Humans, however consume a diet that is nearly unrecognizable from that of early hominin and human ancestors. While the virtues of plant foods are widely extolled, it is done so without a regard for how wild and unrefined plant foods must have contributed to the diets of our pre-agricultural ancestors. The purpose of my dissertation was to examine how wild African tubers, which are targeted by the Hadza hunter-gatherers of Tanzania, contribute the nutritional elements that are essential for health and survival in the East African mosaic environment. To accomplish this objective, I conducted three projects. First, I tested the efficacy of brief roasting, used by the Hadza, on starch gelatinization. Second, I submitted four species of Hadza tubers to an in-vitro simulation of the gastro-intestinal tract, and measured the bioaccessibility of glucose from digestion. Finally, I led an analysis of the Hadza gut microbiome to explore the polysaccharide degrading potential of mutualistic microbiota and learn whether Hadza may be better provisioned by metabolites from fermentation of the residual indigestible plant fibers in their diet. Show less
