There is an apparent error in Sean's reasoning on the weight of fat in a
kangaroo -- and for that matter other animals. Archaeology has determined
that, in Eurasia, through the discovery of smashed long bones and broken
skulls, palaeolithic hunters' preferred food  was the animals' brains and
bone marrow. These are both very high in fats.

I don't know how much fat, by weight, there is in a kangaroo's brain and
total marrow, but I am sure it is a great deal more than 4 ounces. If this
is taken into consideration, the figures will be very different from the 4
ounces per 97 lbs that Gould (1966) measured. Although probably not as high
a percentage as Stefansson's 1 in 6-7, it will still be a considerable
amount. It should not be forgotten that Australian Aborigines also consume
other sources of protein/fats e.g. fat grubs.

I hope this helps

Barry Groves

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Subject: PALEODIET Digest - 15 Jun 2000 to 14 Jul 2000 (#2000-16)


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>   1. fat and carbs
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> Date:    Wed, 12 Jul 2000 01:00:22 -0400
> From:    Sean Mcbride <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: fat and carbs
>
> Thanks Loren for your detailed reply to my question regarding
carbohydrates.
> I apologise for the delay in replying.
> Your response clarified a question for me. As I stated in my last post,
> Gould (1966),  observed that a 97-lb (44kg) kangaroo yielded only 4 ounces
> (114g)of removable fat. Assuming for the sake of argument that the useable
> carcass is around 65% of the total weight (Cordain et al.
2000:685)(although
> I suspect a kangaroo would produce a higher useable weight than an
> ungulate). So, we're looking at about 29kg of meat with 114g of fat.  It
> would be unlikely for one individual to consume an entire Kangaroo, so let
> us say it is shared between 10 people, providing around 3kg of meat and
11g
> of fat per person (assuming it was divided equally which it probably
> would
> not be).
>
> If (as the Angmagssalik eskimos seem to prefer [Speth 1989:334])a
reasonable
> mix of fat to protein is half -half (although Steffansson guggests one
pound
> of fat to 6-7 lbs of lean meat for pemmican), then the example above is
way
> out of kilter in terms of too much protein and not enough fat.  This diet
> would need to be supplemented by carbohydrates in the form of fruit or
> starch.  Since in my experience of Australian bush fruits many of them are
> not particularly high in sugars (although Jenny would know better than I
> about this)this would tend to indicate a need for starchy carbs.
>
> Relating this back to palaeodiet - even hunting megafauna with an increase
> in fat due to their increased size early peoples would still have had to
> have used carbohydrate sources to offset the high protein levels. Since a
> number of authors suggest that carbohydrate was scarce in these
environments
> the q
> uestion becomes "What then did they eat" was it carbohydrates or were
> they adapted to gluconeogenesis.
>
> I hope this makes sense and would appreciate any comments
>
> Cheers
>
> Sean McBride
>
> Cordain, L., J. Brand-Miller, S. B. Eaton, N. Mann, S.H.A. Holt and J.D.
> Speth
> 2000 Plant-animal subsistence ratios and macronutrient energy estimations
> in worldwide hunter-gatherer diets. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
> 71:682-692.
>
> Gould, R.A.
> 1966 Notes on hunting, butchering and sharing among the Ngatatjara and
> their neighbours in the Western Australian desert. Kroeber Anthropological
> Society Papers 36:41-63.
>
> Speth, J.D.
> 1989 Early hominid hunting and scavenging: The role of meat as an energy
> source. Journal of Human Evolution 18:329-343.
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of PALEODIET Digest - 15 Jun 2000 to 14 Jul 2000 (#2000-16)
> ***************************************************************
>