Australopithecus at Sterkfontein did not consume substantial mammalian meat.

Throughout most of human evolutionary history, the diet of early human ancestors consisted mainly of animal-based foods, with meat being the main source of nutrition.

Between 1.2 million and a few hundred thousand years ago, early human ancestors like Homo and Neanderthals relied mainly on meat and other animal foods for nutrition, while earlier ancestors like Australopithecus ate mostly plants.

Analysis of carbon isotopes in fossilized teeth from ancient Australopithecus hominins shows they ate mostly plants like trees and shrubs, not grasses, even though grasses were common in their environment.

Analysis of chemical traces in fossilized teeth shows that Australopithecus ate plants similar to those consumed by herbivorous animals of the same time period, rather than meat like predators.

Dietary patterns inferred from the isotopic data of seven Australopithecus fossils from Sterkfontein cannot be assumed to apply to all Australopithecus or other early human ancestors because the sample is too small and comes from a limited time and place.

Analysis of fossilized tooth enamel from ancient Australopithecus individuals shows chemical signatures that match those of animals eating mostly plants, not meat, suggesting they did not regularly consume mammalian flesh.