Summary
In this episode of Star Talk, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Matt Curtin are joined by geochemist Tina Lüdecke to discuss ancient climate change and the diets of pre-human ancestors. Lüdecke explains how she uses stable isotopes to analyze soil and tooth samples to determine what kind of plants and water sources were present in the past. The discussion centers around the coexistence of multiple hominid species during the paleo era and how their diets evolved over time. Lüdecke emphasizes that the idea of a "paleo diet" is not accurate, as different hominins lived in different environments and had different resources available to them. Additionally, she notes that early hominins were likely vegan after being weaned from breast milk, and her research allows for a better understanding of their diets and lifestyles.
The conversation also covers the preservation of plant materials and the evidence they provide for the cultivation of crops and domestication of rice in China 11,500 years ago. Coprolites are also interesting for analyzing what animals ate and digested. The oldest bread is 14,400 years old and was made with wild cereals, while wine was produced in Georgia 8,000 years ago. Cooking food allowed early hominins to spend less time collecting food and more time on social behavior and grooming. The use of fire to cook meat began roughly 1.9 million years ago and allowed for larger body size, increased brain size and complexity, and adaptation for long-distance running. The hosts also discuss the history of condiments and the role of vitamins in early human diets.
The conversation concludes with a discussion on adapting to climate change and the potential evolutionary changes that may occur in the future. The hosts agree that while humans have the ability to adapt to different environments, the current rate of climate change is too rapid for evolutionary changes to occur. They suggest that relying on our intelligence and technology may be our best hope for survival. In a separate context on the Probably Science podcast, Tyson and Tina joke about a carnivorous piano from the year 2050 and express their enjoyment of the conversation.
