Dental Detectives Reveal Diet of Ancient Human Ancestors
Paranthropus robustus, a dead-end branch of the early human family tree, has been described as a “chewing machine” that was mostly jaws and not much brains.
While the label may still apply, pioneering dental detective work has revealed unexpected news about the species’ dietary variety.
Using lasers to vaporize tiny particles of tooth enamel, researchers in the United States and Great Britain analyzed the chemical makeup of 1.8-million-year-old fossil teeth from four individuals unearthed in the Swartkrans cave site in South Africa.
Different types of edible plants leave unique chemical signatures in living tissue, including teeth.