Underground storage organs USOs have been proposed
As expected given fossilization requisites, the African early- to mid-Pleistocene shows an association
of Homo & Paranthropus fossils with shallow-water & flooded habitats, where high densities of
plant-bearing USOs are likely to have occurred.
This study differs from traditional savanna chimpanzee models of hominin origins, by proposing that
access to aquatic habitats was a necessary condition for adaptation to savanna habitats.
Shallow-Water Habitats as Sources of Fallback Foods for Hominins-
Richard Wrangham cs 2009 AJPA 140:630-642
Underground storage organs USOs have been proposed as critical fallback foods for early hominins in savanna,
but which habitats would have been important sources of USOs?
USOs consumed by hominins could have included both underwater & underground storage organs: from both aquatic & terrestrial habitats.
Shallow-aquatic habitats tend to offer high plant growth-rates, high USO densities & rel.continuous USO-availability throughout the year.
Baboons in the Okavango delta use aquatic USOs as a fallback food, (semi)aquatic USOs support high-density human populations in various parts of the world.
As expected given fossilization requisites, the African early- to mid-Pleistocene shows an association of Homo & Paranthropus fossils with shallow-water & flooded habitats, where high densities of plant-bearing USOs are likely to have occurred.
Given that early hominins in the tropics lived in rel.dry habitats while others occupied temperate latitudes, ripe, fleshy fruits of the type preferred by African apes would not normally have been available year-round:
were water-associated USOs key fallback foods? was dry-season access to aquatic habitats an im-portant predictor of hominin home range quality?
This study differs from traditional savanna chimpanzee models of hominin origins, by proposing that access to aquatic habitats was a necessary condition for adaptation to savanna habitats.
Did harvesting efficiency in shallow water promote adaptations for habitual BPity in early hominins?
Tubers were less important than pulses, nuts, grains and of course meat.
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