On Tue, 27 Nov 2001 11:05:46 +1100, Dean Pistilli
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Hi Amadeus,
>
>I have to say the below is one of the weirdest and least probably
>theories I have heard regarding paleo and prehistoric food sources..

I'd suggest to take a look at "The Raw and the Stolen"
(Group of Prof Wrangham) which is an
outline of the theory. I think it has a lot of strengths and
overcomes some drawbacks of the alternatives.

>Have you ever tried eating raw tubers and spuds? You would probably be
>dead if you relied on raw tubers as your staple diet. Apart from a large
>percentage being toxic in a raw state, its unlikely they would simply
>meet the nutritional needs of previous and current human beings.

I eat raw tubers every day. Maybe some 2-300g.
Several kind of white tubers which we have at the casino salad bar.
Maybe some kind of raddish or similar tubers.
Veeeeery good are Teltow-turnips (a favourite food of Goethe).
Sometimes carrots too.

Others, Yams etc taste only when cooked.

Wrangham has pointed out that not one single root, but a combination
of 5 different ones (within a week or so) do meet the nutritional needs
of humans.

Additionally it would be a requirement against the rabbit starvation
problem if homo erectus ate considerable amounts of carrion or hunt.
Wrangham et al mentioned not directly rabbit starvation, but the beneftis
from cooked starch for eating the lean savannah meat.

>..its mainly fantasy and weird
>forms of guilt relief that lead people to immagine the answer was in any
>way related to fructarianism, veganism, eating sprouts and tubers,
>vegetarianism, natural hygiene, macrobiotics etc. etc.

You may be right. The guilt relief is not my professtion ;-)
However the food resources from plants I find in both taste and variety
great.

Amadeus S