Keith Thomas wrote:
>
> I posted the following query to Google's sci.bio.evolution group early
> in the month.  I got no replies.  If any EvFit subscribers can help,
> I'd be grateful.
> ________________
>
> We hear about human evolution from about 5mya from an arboreal
> existence (eating fruit and berries) to being upright on the savanna
> (eating primarily tubers and seeds).
>
> What (most likely) were these tubers - their scientific names?  I'd
> like to try some, even grow some.  Are they available in Western
> countries?

One way I can help is to suggest checking into the "fruits and berries"
notion more. From what I've read, fruits and berries are an important
part, but are not even a majority of the diet of chimps and gorillas, in
spite of fruitarian, vegan, and natural-hygiene propaganda or
misconception to the contrary. Also, I think "primarily tubers and
seeds" may be questionable. Precedence may go to shoots, roots, leaves,
brains, marrow, and meat (roots are different from tubers). The brains
and marrow are there because hominids were the ones who figured out how
to crack open the bones to get at them, from other predators' kills.
Somewhere I did see a mention of a recent find of a yam-digging stick
that was very old, maybe hundreds of thousands of years, but I haven't
been able to relocate the reference. And there are new theories about
habilis tuber cooking and eating, but they are facing widespread
skepticism.

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