Hi all, been reading here for a couple of weeks and really enjoying it (even the arguments ... er, uh, i mean heated discussions :) I have some questions, for anyone here but especially for Amadeus (guten tag, by the way -- uh, that's about all the Deutsch i happen to sprechen). Mostly what i want to ask about is this matter of "large prey animals" and "Germanic warriors" and all that thread. I'm just a mom, with only a high school education, so please forgive me if/when i mangle the facts, but i thought "paleolithic" referred to a time a couple of million years before there was such a creature as "Germanic warriors" and Tacitus and Vikings and cultivated grains. Aren't we here to discuss what foods were eaten by our ape ancestors, pre-human ancestors, and early human ancestors? On an evolutionary time scale it seems to me that the Vikings and Romans and Germanic warriors are, relatively speaking, our contemporaries, and can in no way be considered ape, pre-human, or early human. If i'm wrong about this, i would really appreciate it if someone would tell me. And regarding the "large prey animals," i fail to see how these can be considered to have constituted the bulk of the diet for our ape ancestors, pre-human ancestors, and early human ancestors. If by "paleolithic" we are referring to the time of the first stone tools and first stone weapons, it seems to me that those sorts of things were not suited to hunting "large prey animals." Unless of course "first stone tools and first stone weapons" included spears, in which case i obviously need to revise my definition of what sorts of things constitute "first stone tools and first stone weapons." (By the way, i'm sorry to be so repetitive, but i'm really trying to pin down exactly what is it we're talking about, and i'm trying to be clear and to learn. Thanks for your patience, everyone.) So i'm confused as to what is meant by "paleolithic" and "paleonutrition." How long ago are we talking about? Are we talking about our EARLIEST ape/pre-human/human ancestors? Because if we are, then i fail to comprehend how "large prey animals" could possibly have constituted the bulk of their diet -- it doesn't seem possible to me (though perhaps my imagination is very limited) that our earliest ape/pre-human/human ancestors could have brought down a mastodon by flinging pebbles at it. Another question (sort of off-topic, sorry) -- are we (us, here, today) still living in the Holocene epoch of the Quaternary period of the Cenozoic era? (Inquiring minds want to know.) Another question -- back to the matter of "large prey animals" and my doubts regarding their being on the menu for our earliest ape/pre-human/human ancestors .... could you please read through the following list and tell me which (if any) of these can be considered "true paleofoods." Because i really want to know Eohippus (ancestor of horse) --- Eohippus was about the size of a fox, so not exactly a "large prey animal") Protylopus (ancestor of camel) -- also about the size of a fox Miacis (ancestor of cats and dogs) -- about the size of a weasel Ferret Weasel Mink Chinchilla Ermine Lemming Marmoset Potto (and other Lorisidae) Muskrat Chipmunk Squirrel Opossum Porcupine Echidnae Rat Mouse Shrew Mole Bat Bird Turtle Tortoise Fish Crayfish ("crawdad") Eel Hare Rabbit Snake Lizard Salamander Newt Worm Grubs of various sorts Ants Insects Ticks Fleas Lice Termites Slugs Snails Monkeys And of course other apes/pre-humans/early humans Tidepool creatures such as limpets, barnacles, anemone, abalone, clams, whelks, starfish, etc. And plant foods -- leaves (especially grasses, which are the most plentiful form of leaves) Bark Tubers Berries Nuts Fruits Vegetables (which ones? i have no idea) Tell me please, wouldn't the animals and plants on this list form the main bulk of the diet of our earliest ape/pre-human/human ancestors? ( And remember i am NOT talking about the Vikings and those oft-cited Germanic warriors.) In other words, can the foods on this list be considered "the true paleofoods" ? Thank you all for the information and the very entertaining discussion! Regards, Emily <-- hoping no one will notice any misspellings, inconsistencies in syntax and/or grammar, inaccuracies, and/or flaws in logic :)