These two changes are seemingly paradoxical as our brains are metabolically demanding organs, yet a reduced gut length would mean less capacity for absorbing nutrients to fuel a larger brain. Scientists have argued that these morphological changes in hominins were made possible due to a transition from plant to meat-based diets. Meat is easily masticated compared to plants, removing the need for larger and more powerful mandibles, and its fat content makes it energy-dense, matching higher metabolic demands despite a reduced gut length. Isotopic nitrogen analysis has suggested that the source of this meat was largely terrestrial animals. Notably, isotopic carbon analysis suggests that certain types of plants, primarily starchy in-ground tubers (prehistoric potatoes), remained in ancestral diets following this proposed transition. Accordingly, modern humans have likely retained these nutritional adaptations to the consumption of meat and starchy plants. The transition from plant to meat-based diets implies an increased consumption of fat and protein relative to carbohydrate.
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