I caught a very interesting show on the History
Channel over the weekend. It was a history of tools.
Most of the program was devoted to the development of
"modern" tools, but part of the program looked way
back in time at our hominid ancestors.

What I found fascinating was a team of two
anthropologists who, with no modern tools or metals,
skinned and gutted a small deer-like critter in a
matter of minutes. They started out by dragging the
critter into a clearing, chipped a couple of rocks to
create "blades", cut through the skin and fur with
very little trouble, and then cracked open the bones
with another rock to expose the marrow. Very
efficient.

This demonstrated to me how likely it was that early
hominids preferred scavenging/hunting to the more
tedious routine of gathering. The deer-like critter
could have sustained the two of them for at least a
couple of days, perhaps more if they came across a few
berries or other snacks. The point, IMHO, is that when
meat and other game were available and easily taken,
it appears that a hunting strategy would have provided
the biggest nutritional bang for the buck.
*Especially* during the "winter" months.

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