Paleolithic Nutrition

Abstract
HUMANITY has existed as a genus for about 2 million years, and our prehuman hominid ancestors, the australopithecines, appeared at least 4 million years ago (Table 1). This phase of evolutionary history made definitive contributions to our current genetic composition, partly in response to dietary influences at that time. The foods available to evolving hominids varied widely according to the paleontological period, geographical location, and seasonal conditions, so that our ancestral line maintained the versatility of the omnivore that typifies most primates. Natural selection has provided us with nutritional adaptability; however, human beings today are confronted with diet-related health problems . . .