The miserable diet of human ancestors

The new study suggests that human ancestors 2 million years ago had an extremely miserable diet, primarily chewing bark and leaves to survive the day.

The results of Australopithecus sediba 's analysis of dental plaque showed that their daily diet 2 million years ago was unique, including bark, leaves and wild fruits.

Teeth are obtained from Australopithecus sediba fossils

The study, published in the journal Nature, opens a whole new perspective on the evolution of the ape, which is considered a direct ancestor of humankind.

The first fossils of Australopithecus sediba, also known as 'Southern gibbon' , were discovered in South Africa in 2008.

The teeth of two individual gibbons were analyzed in the latest study led by Dr. Amanda Henry of the Max Planck Institute (Germany).

'For the first time, we can implement three different analytical methods, focusing on enamel, carbon isotope data, tartar to reconstruct the diet of the ape-human line ,' BBC quoted. Dr. Henry said.

This diet is more diverse than other gibbons compared to the previous hypothesis of the scientific world.

Until now, scientists have not identified the location of Australopithecus sediba on the evolutionary map of humanity.