We share more than 97% of our genetic composition with primates such as chimpanzees, gorillas and … [+]
Our closest genetic relative is shimpanzees – we share approximately 99% of our genomic composition with shimp. That’s because we share an ordinary ancestor. People and chimpanzees were separated from one another approximately six million years ago, which is not so long in evolutionary terms.
So how do people’s diets compare to the diets of chimpanzees and other great monkeys, given our common background? Unlike what you might think. Plant materials include 87% in greater than 99% of the annual diet of large monkeys, according to research published in Nutrition. This may be contrary to the diet of today’s Americans, who tend to receive about 70% of their protein from animal resources.
In fact, scientists speculate that one of the main reasons why people received a different evolutionary trajectory than their relatives was due to their diet. Here’s how it is explained by the University of California, Berkeley’s anthropologist Katharine Milton:
“Returning to animal -sourced foods as a routine how much dietary component of the case would have allowed human development in evolving to avoid nutrients established in increasing body size in monkeys. Without routine approach to animal -sourced foods, it is not likely that evolutionary people could have reached their extremely large and complex brains, while at the same time continue their evolutionary trajectory such as big, active and highly social primates. As human evolution progressed, young children in particular, with their large brain and high metabolic and nutritious metabolic requirements compared to adults would have benefited from high quality foods concentrated volumely, such as meat. “
Somewhat is somewhat surprising how early meat is likely to be swallowed and how little meat is swallowed by large monkeys.
For example, orangutans and gorillas are estimated to receive approximately 99% of their annual diet from plant sources. Much of this intake is of low quality, such as bark, ripe leaves and immature fruits. When primates consume non -plant materials, it often comes in the form of inadvertent insects such as termites and ants. Incidentally, these insects contain trace nutrients that help primate a lot.
Rare but not unheard of, for excellent monkeys to eat meat. For example, some chimpanzee communities deliberately eat termites and other insects, with some individuals occasionally firing vertebrates. In general, it has been observed that only the most dominant chimpanzees consume significant amounts of vertebrate meat.
These dietary changes are reflected in the digestive tracts of monkeys and great people. For example, large monkeys tend to have much more developed Hindwuts (i.e., columns) than humans, which helps digest lower quality foods such as heavy plant material, indigestible fiber and seeds. People, on the other hand, have more developed money (small intestine) that suggest an adaptation to foods that are dense and highly soluble nutrients.
What is perhaps more interesting is how small differences in the ingestion of meat between chimpanzees and other large monkey species such as gorillas and orangutans can be responsible for the important behavioral differences observed between species.
For example, gorillas and oranges have been shown to be less active, less agile and less nuanced in behavior than chimpanzees. They also lack the high level of social interaction seen in Shimpanzees. It is possible, due to their diet, almost exclusively based on plants and relevant digestive processes, these two species experience limited energy consumption, which limits the development of non -essential behaviors. In other words, the energy available to orangutans and gorillas may not be enough to support greater levels of activity and social behavior – and meat can be blamed.
Are you an animal lover who owns a pet or maybe two? Get supported by science Pets personality test To know exactly how well you know your little friend.