Analysis of chemical signatures in fossilized teeth from early human ancestors at Sterkfontein shows no signs that they ate meat, even though their brains were getting larger at the same time. This...
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
Their brains got bigger not because they ate meat, but because they found better plant foods that gave them more energy with less effort to digest. That extra energy could then be used to grow a larger brain.
Most probable mechanism
The brain grew larger because the body learned to get more energy from plants and other non-meat sources, using less energy for digestion and more for brain growth, even without eating meat regularly.
Dietary reliance on high-quality plant foods such as tubers, fruits, and nuts provided sufficient caloric density and essential nutrients to support increased metabolic demands.
Reduced reliance on meat lowered the energetic cost of digestion, allowing more energy to be redirected from the gut to the brain.
Increased availability of glucose and key micronutrients from plant sources supported sustained neuronal proliferation and synaptic development.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Community contributions welcome
Australopithecus at Sterkfontein did not consume substantial mammalian meat.
Contradicting (0)
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Gold Standard Evidence Needed
According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.