When humans were prey

[Wertbag]

Interesting article talking about the change in thought from our ancient relatives being vicious hunters to modern research showing many of the bones found show we were at the bottom of the food chain. 

 

They found signs of hyena (some ancient version at least), leopard, crocodile and giant eagle. We really are just squishy meatbags, its only technology that allows us to compete. Take away the spear, the armour, the shelter and fire and we are lunch for anything that wants a bite. 

[☆ pantheory ☆]

Yeah, pretty interesting stuff,

 

I never really bought into the idea of our earliest ancestors being big hunters. I think it was more like chimps today in that they mostly gathered like chimps do today, and were predators only of small animals, grub, reptiles, things that we could catch on the ground, and scavenging carrion from other animal kills and natural animal deaths. Some humans today, especially children, teenagers and young adults, can climb trees fairly well. Our early ancestors were probably better at it than modern humans.  Maybe not as good as chimps since there climbing muscles were not as big as chimps, their arms not as long, but they still could probably climb better than modern humans on an average. Climbing is a good defense against many larger predators, up trees, climbing rocks and steep hills and rock faces where they could grab on.  Like small animals today, hiding is also a good defense against predictors, such as in caves, holes, a thicket, and elsewhere. Being able to throw rocks well and fashion spears not only enabled early humans to hunt bigger game, but it also would have been a good protection against other humans trying to steel food, women, territory, or to cannibalize.

 

Looking at modern and ancient jaws and teeth, we see the dental structure of grinding teeth like an herbivore rather than big canine and other sharp teeth of a carnivore.  Human jaws also can move side to side for grinding what we eat, like herbivores and chimps.