On Sun, 12 Jul 1998 08:40:07 -0400, Don Wiss <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

.. strawberries continued, sorry.....

IMHO i must say that more than the pure origin,
it might be important how much
the plants have been modified genetically by "creating" new varieties.
I think the more modified the worse.
Fruit are originally _intended_ from the plant to benefit the consumer
so i think wild fruit will be of benefit in most cases.

>
>>Different from wild grains, which were consumed
>>ever since gatherer/hunter times.
>
>Actually grains only started to be gathered in the Near East 17,000 years
>ago (and then grown 10,000). A lot of effort is required to grind them, as
>they are inedible without doing this. This expenditure of effort will only
>be done if other food sources require more effort.

It seems now as if whole humanity origins in africa, only about
 40-50k years back, since the former paleolitic world population
"neanderthal" has become extinct after about that time.
For our nutrition at the time before, we should look to tropic, or savanne
Africa, IMO.
Savanne produces 20 to 30 kg of dry grains per year per ha
(=about 5 acres i think) which makes quite
an easy available food resource, when no fruit or nuts are present.

Pavians for examples are apes that cover that ecological niche presently,
and ramapithecus (once handled as a human predecessor) did so.
They were/are grain eaters.

Grinding _is_ some effort if the grains are very dry
(one roman legionaer had
to grind for one hour every day for his group of 8 persons).
But an easy alternative is to soak them with water.
They'll become soft after some hours/days and even multiply their vitamin
contents.
So your argument of the least effort in the savanne might easyly be
won by that grass seeds. Alternatives: tubers
(but have sometimes to be cooked).
Alternative hunting is - well dangerous .. and bears the add'l chance of
parasitic infections.

Once again i would blame the massive genetic modification of the
grains (especially of what is called "wheat" today) for the problems
they create. Same thing for any other food item.

Just my private thougths about the theme.

regards

Amadeus