200萬(wàn)年前,，南方古猿,、傍人和靈長(zhǎng)目人科的人屬物種都曾在今天的南非地區(qū)生活,。法國(guó)研究人員日前分析這三者的牙齒化石后發(fā)現(xiàn),，其飲食習(xí)慣存在很大差異。相關(guān)論文發(fā)表在8月8日的《自然》雜志上,。
自20世紀(jì)30年代末開(kāi)始,，南非陸續(xù)出土古人類(lèi)物種化石。一些地球化學(xué)和生物學(xué)家對(duì)在南非發(fā)現(xiàn)的南方古猿,、傍人和人屬化石進(jìn)行研究,，揭示出其飲食特點(diǎn)。
一般來(lái)說(shuō),，越處于食物鏈頂端的哺乳動(dòng)物,，其組織中的鍶元素和鋇元素就越少。法國(guó)研究人員利用激光切除技術(shù)對(duì)上述3大物種的化石牙釉質(zhì)進(jìn)行分析,，發(fā)現(xiàn)最早約500萬(wàn)年前出現(xiàn)的南方古猿的飲食比較“隨機(jī)”,，它們進(jìn)食一切能吃的東西，其食譜中既有漿果,，也包含動(dòng)物骨骼等,。
大約200萬(wàn)年前，可能由南方古猿進(jìn)化而來(lái)的傍人和人屬,，其飲食范圍相對(duì)更集中,。傍人愛(ài)吃植物，甚至包括難以咀嚼的植物根莖,。而人屬則更偏向肉食,，他們極有可能會(huì)借助工具，主要以狩獵為生,。傍人和人屬共同生活了將近100萬(wàn)年,，直至前者因某個(gè)未知原因而消失。
參與這項(xiàng)研究者認(rèn)為,，這些發(fā)現(xiàn)有助于專(zhuān)家更好地了解人類(lèi)在生物和社會(huì)方面的進(jìn)化過(guò)程,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1038/nature11349
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Evidence for dietary change but not landscape use in South African early hominins
Vincent Balter,1 José Braga,2 Philippe Télouk1 & J. Francis Thackeray3
The dichotomy between early Homo and Paranthropus is justified partly on morphology1, 2. In terms of diet, it has been suggested that early Homo was a generalist but that Paranthropus was a specialist3. However, this model is challenged and the issue of the resources used by Australopithecus, the presumed common ancestor, is still unclear. Laser ablation profiles of strontium/calcium, barium/calcium and strontium isotope ratios in tooth enamel are a means to decipher intra-individual diet and habitat changes. Here we show that the home range area was of similar size for species of the three hominin genera but that the dietary breadth was much higher in Australopithecus africanus than in Paranthropus robustus and early Homo. We also confirm that P. robustus relied more on plant-based foodstuffs than early Homo. A South African scenario is emerging in which the broad ecological niche of Australopithecus became split, and was then occupied by Paranthropus and early Homo, both consuming a lower diversity of foods than Australopithecus.
