Analysis of ancient dental plaque from a hominin fossil dated to 1.2 million years ago revealed undamaged starch granules from wild grasses, suggesting these plants were eaten raw and not cooked or...
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
The starch grains found in the ancient teeth were not broken or cooked, which only happens when food is eaten raw. If people had roasted or mashed the grass seeds, the grains would have been damaged — but they weren’t, so they must have been eaten as they were found.
Most probable mechanism
When people eat raw grass seeds, the hard outer coating of the starch grains stays intact because no heat or chewing breaks them down. These undamaged grains get stuck in the teeth and stay preserved over time, leaving a clear sign that the food was eaten without cooking or grinding.
Starch granules from grasses retain their physical structure when ingested without exposure to temperatures above 60°C or mechanical forces exceeding the threshold of granule fracture.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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