>I got it down a bit wrong there - but, according to my books mesolithic it
>is the time between the latest ice age and the beginning of
>agriculture(10.000 - 4.000 years BC in Southern Scandinavia), but there is
>still no agriculture so I wouldn't agree to this:

Neolithic agriculture happened much later in Northern Europe than in the
Middle East. The Natufians, considered one of the first agricultural
societies, were growing grains 11,000 years ago - and there is evidence
they were experimenting with and harvesting wild grains long before that.
(In fact, I believe some recently posted a link that pushes grain growing
[or, at least, "grain harvesting"] back to 20,000 years ago). It took about
about 5000 years for agriculture to eventually spread to Northern Europe.
So, the Mesolithic lasted longer (or later) in Northern Europe than it did
in the Middle East.

http://home3.inet.tele.dk/evakoch/veg-uk.htm#02
http://whyfiles.org/122ancient_ag/5.html

My point is that during the Mesolithic, while certainly not as
revolutionary as the Neolithic, *some* forms of agriculture (if it helps,
lets refer to it as permaculture), and some domestication of animals was
taking place. The foods they would have been experimenting with would not
have been strictly Paleolithic by *our* definition, nor would they be what
we consider Neolithic (again, by the definition generally accepted on this
list). That's the diet I would refer to as Mesolithic.

The problem with a lot of what I've read on this list is an apparent
assumption that everything before 9000 years ago was paleolithic (hunting
and gathering) and eveything after 9000 years ago was neolithic
(agriculture). As if people, at a given point in history, suddenly threw
away their bows, arrows, and spears and decided to become farmers.
In fact, it actually took 2000 years for agriculture to take hold in
Northern Europe after it was introduced. And, apparently (from my readings,
at least), in Northern Europe animal husbandry pre-dates organized
agriculture by a fair amount.

Now getting back to the original question "is paleo really for everyone"? I
say, yes it is. I don't believe anyone has adapted to a diet composed of
mostly grains and/or milk. But, some have adapted to these foods *slightly*
more than others.