Foraging Strategies and Natural Diet of Monkeys, Apes and Humans (Oxford Science Publications)

Until the beginnings of agriculture some 12,000 years ago, humans and the Homo line of human ancestors harvested food from whatever the immediate environment had to offer. The legacy of such natural diets and humans' adaptations to them are increasingly recognized as holding a key to the understanding and prevention of many of today's nutritional problems and diseases. The nature and evolution of these diets, and the foraging strategies underlying them, have nevertheless remained poorly understood. This volume brings together the latest findings from the diverse range of disciplines involved with the study of prehistoric dietary patterns and their relevance today. Three major sections deal in turn with foraging behavior in African apes and other non-human primates, the fossil evidence on the diet of our human ancestors, and the insights gained from studies of present-day hunters and gatherers. A final section summarizes recent dietary changes and their impact on human health today. Among those who will find this information of special interest are nutritionists, behavioral psychologists, ecologists, primatologists, and anthropologists.Whiten, Andrew is the author of 'Foraging Strategies and Natural Diet of Monkeys, Apes and Humans (Oxford Science Publications)', published 1992 under ISBN 9780198522553 and ISBN 019852255X.