References & Sources - January 16, 1999

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Fossil ancestor pursued varied tastes

A new dental analysis suggests that a 3-million-year-old member of the human evolutionary family ate a more varied diet, including a substantial amount of meat, than has often been assumed.

References:

Sponheimer, M., and J.A. Lee-Thorp. 1999. Isotopic evidence for the diet of an early hominid, Australopithecus africanus. Science 283(Jan. 15):368.

Sources:

Julia A. Lee-Thorp
University of Cape Town, South Africa
Department of Archeology
Private Bag
Rondebosch 7701
Republic of South Africa

Matt Sponheimer
Rutgers University
Department of Anthropology
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1414

From Science News, Vol. 155, No. 3, January 16, 1999, p. 36. Copyright © 1999, Science Service.

Copyright 1999 Science Service