The Risky Paleo Diets of Our Ancestors

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Our Human Evolution Learning Playlist: • Human Evolution Learni...
We can track our history of eating just about anything back through the fossil record and see the impact it’s had on our evolution. Throughout time, part of the secret to our success as a species has been our early - and sometimes fatal - experimentation with food.
Special thanks to Jack Byrley ( / bedupolker , Fabrizio de Rossi ( / artoffabricious ) and Julio Lacerda ( / juliotheartist ) for providing us with excellent illustrations for this episode!
Additionally, big thanks to Carol Ward for providing us with images of KNM-ER 1808 for this episode! www.wardlab.net
Produced in collaboration with PBS Digital Studios: / pbsdigitalstudios
Super special thanks to the following Patreon patrons for helping make Eons possible:
Anthony Callaghan, Anton Bryl, Jeff Graham, shelley floryd, Laura Sanborn, Henrik Peteri, Zachary Spencer, Chandler Bass, Richard Ohnemus, Joao Ascensao, Andrey, Ben Thorson, Marcus Lejon, Ilya Murashov, Nathan Paskett, Jerrit Erickson, Merri Snaidman, David Sewall, Gabriel Cortez, Jack Arbuckle, Kevin Griffin, Robert Noah, Philip Slingerland, Todd Dittman, James Bording, Eric Vonk, Robert Arévalo, Esmeralda Rupp-Spangle, Jon Monteiro, Missy Elliott Smith, Jonathan Wright, Gregory Donovan, Miles Chaston, Michael McClellan, PS, Maria Humphrey, Larry Wilson, Hubert Rady, John Vanek, Tsee Lee, Daisuke Goto, Gregory Kintz, Matt Parker, Tyson Cleary, Case Hill, Stefan Weber, Betsy Radley
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References: docs.google.com/document/d/1O...

[@carissstewart3211]

Modern humans: "to be healthy we should eat like our paleolithic ancestors did." Paleolithic humans: "Will this kill me? I'll risk it."

[@GenghisVern]

You first, then we'll see

[@ugoeze7360]

the first hominid who saw a random mushroom: “I’m hungry and I don’t what that is. But hey, 🤷‍♂️you only live once” .... *dies* Blessed be the these original culinary thrill-seekers; for without them, we’d never eventually discovered portobello.

[@Argentvs]

They actually ate little of them, and tried more later that day if it didn't make them sick. Pretty much you are told to do that on survival emergencies.

[@HellDiverFails]

Covid-19 came from eating bats!!!!! Dur dur

[@Argentvs]

@@HellDiverFails Myth, WHO linked it probably to farm animals. Bats are the original host, it passed to pigs and humans got it from them.

[@grantingtherant1465]

It's not a real paleo diet unless you nearly fall out of a tree or get your leg snapped off by a croc

[@Caun-88]

Not doing legit paleo if you are not willing to make some grass, half rotten gazelle leg chunk and two teaspoons of raw honey your meal for the day

[@HellDiverFails]

Talk about weight loss

[@charlier7571]

Granting the Rant y’all are too funny lmao. This thread 👌🏽

[@thebigpicture2032]

Not real paleo unless you chase it for miles, nearly exhausting yourself before the kill.

[@grubbybum3614]

Which is an everyday experience climbing an avocado tree in northern Australia...

[@sarahmartinez6203]

I’m learning so much from this KZbin channel. I was homeschooled by a deeply Christian mother who believes the earth is 7000 years old. I’m grateful I can learn as an adult.

[@ledocteurgonzo]

what is your nationality ?

[@Yinon776]

​@@ledocteurgonzoProbably American.

[@Krankenwagen571]

​@@ledocteurgonzo clearly hispanic

[@Fava99]

Danm she wrong for hiding the truth about science from u

[@emmabarlow7284]

the Human Motto: "This might kill me, but not if i digest it first."

[@fezak9285]

XD

[@konoduwangda129]

Huh, like pineapples!

[@neolexiousneolexian6079]

*The Omnivore Motto.

[@neolexiousneolexian6079]

Terrifying, right? You're something out of a horror story. The megafauna of entire continents have died to feed your hunger. Entire species have been bred into slavery. You're the All-Consuming Swarm.

[@sebastianc2222]

@@neolexiousneolexian6079 Yeah we are awesome

[@cas126]

Pour one out for the millions of early homies who jumped on the prehistoric barbed wire of food tasting so the rest of us could cross over.

[@lombardo141]

Cas very underrated comment. 👏👏👏

[@coltonrobinson4255]

Not to mention medical remedies too!

[@Sergio-fu7mv]

🍺⤵️

[@JL12997]

Funny 🤣🤣

[@PikaQPika]

but imagine what it would've been like to accidently bite a watermelon or strawberry for the first time ever after eating leaves for so long LOL

[@Weirdoid]

People who endorse paleo diets rarely mention to paleo exercise regimen of chasing down your prey and hoping it doesn’t attack you.

[@YagamiKou]

also, the very real chance u could go *days* without eating

[@Timodj13]

Joshua Jarvis that’s the thrill!

[@Burn_Angel]

It's not about hoping it doesn't attack you, it's about hoping all the wound you get from it attacking you don't kill you nor incapacitate you from hunting again, or, at the very least, don't stop you from killing and eating the thing.

[@k.umquat8604]

@@gasdive r/wooosh

[@rkbkirin5975]

Yup, sometime going days without eating was probably a regular occurrence, esp. in the winter months. That's what you call some HARDCORE intermittent fasting lol

[@official.izanami]

Humans nowadays: "Ew, there's a fly in my soup!" Humans a million years ago: "YUUUUUUS, A FLY! Gotta love that crunch!"

[@WireMosasaur]

Dads in all eras of human history: "It's extra protein!"

[@official.izanami]

@@WireMosasaur haha yes 😂👌

[@lemonboy9yearsago760]

Yeah when i order soup and see a fly ill just say thank you for the extra toppings

[@A.Martin]

Many areas of the world still have pests in their foods, Like weevils in grain. You remove as much as you can down to where you can manage to eat the food. The ones left are just extra protein :P

[@mokkaveli]

@@A.Martin apparently on average everyone accidentally eats about 2 pounds of insects a year

[@OF01975]

0:10 “Today she is known as KMN-ER-1808” Was she named by Elon musk or something?

[@edvin6347]

No, Belon Tusk

[@hiimryan2388]

@@edvin6347 no mega tooth

[@sumeetkumar3000]

@@edvin6347 no celon husk

[@supermasterfighter]

She’s a Star Wars droid

[@ballsach8864]

No pelon rust

[@eyeroll5403]

The crazy part in the poisoned homo erectus story is that someone cared for her for months, since there's evidence of bone growth. In those perilous times, 1.6 million years ago, someone cared for their sick mama.

[@dzerres]

socialists

[@KuK137]

I like how homo erectus were more developed morally and socially than half of humans today. It's sad to think brainwashed right wingers wouldn't care for their families like our ancestors did but actively push them off cliff for for being "freeloaders" or the sake of "economy" or hell, even haircuts (see these morons protesting life saving measures in USA today...)

[@radtech21]

Humans cannot survive individually out in the wild, so a cooperative effort is required for our survival. This is so ingrained into our genes that humans feel uncomfortable, anxious, and even depressed when we are asked to stay at home or to keep a distance from others. It is hard wired into each of us to care for each other.

[@MrAranton]

@@dzerres You correctly named the trait that allowed homo errectus to advance into what would eventually become modern humans.

[@Taydiablo3]

😭😭 so sad.

[@MastaChafa]

Paleo diet: imagine being an ancient hominid and being your turn to try a new plant to see if the rest of the tribe can eat it too.

[@fezak9285]

*sweats intensifies*

[@temujoe]

You probably started with just a nibble 🙂

[@DavidKutzler]

Kid #1: It's a new food. It's supposed to be good for you. You wanna try it? Kid #2: I'm not gonna try it! You try it! Kid #1: Let's give it to Mikey, he'll eat anything! Both Kids: Look Mikey's eating it! He likes it!

[@Amanishakheto]

I'm sure Ringo Starr can relate.😂

[@habibishapur]

There is a very rigorous method that is even used by survivalists today which involves gradual exposure to the plant. It takes weeks and at the start you dont even eat it. I dont remember the exact details but its something like: at first you just smell it, then you touch it, then you lick your finger after touching it, and so on, with days between each of these incremental exposures to allow for any effects to show. This means that more often than not if theres any adverse effects you will experience them before you come into contact with enough substance to really hurt you. No doubt our ancestors had figured this out before we were even homo sapiens.

[@MemphiStig]

early hominid A: "hey you can't eat that" early hominid B: "hold my spear"

[@Gizzard4400]

Absolutely underrated comment

[@BruceWayne-et2xp]

Lol

[@jeffborders5526]

The real Paleo diet: "eat anything you can get your hands on and try really hard to not starve to death before 40."

[@LeoDomitrix]

When I say that, the "paleo" crowd freak out and run to a steakhouse. Very "paleo" *eyeroll*

[@JubioHDX]

Then die at 40 anyway cause past age 30 even in modern day its all downhill from there😂 retired athletes today of course sometimes are more destructive to their bodies than physical hunters but i think the lasting damage that things like football and basketball leave on the retirees proves that decades of the physical exertion needed for persistence hunting will definitely build up in you even with modern medicine

[@Malgorbia]

Humans: “is it friend?” No?? Humans: “than it is food.”

[@muhammadaryawicaksono4232]

Smh my head, even a homo erectus would know that it is "THEN"

[@dennycote6339]

Fish are friends...not food!

[@rooseveltbrentwood9654]

denny cote the fish disagree

[@someguy2135]

@@dennycote6339 Found the vegan. I guess it takes one to know one. Our ancestors had to eat whatever they could find. We don't have to. We can eat foods that reflect our compassion, and is better for the environment, and is better for our long term vitality and longevity. A whole food plant based vegan diet.

[@Burn_Angel]

Some Guy You clearly didn't get the Finding Nemo reference.

[@Carlton-B]

"Alright, Tribe, we need to expand our food supply, so we can continue to evolve, so we are going to do a controlled study to find out if lion liver is edible. Glog, Slogg, and Thag, Jr., you will eat you fill of lion liver once a day, every day, for a week. Blagg, Doodagg, and Bob, you will be the control group and eat nothing but the usual berries, elephant dung, and dirt. Two months after the week of eating livers, we will see just who survives and who dies. Remember, whoever survives, we won't determine if lion liver is safe until I take some red ochre into the cave and calculate statistical significance on the walls. Don't eat the liver until I get back. Of course, if the liver eaters all die, don't discard the liver until I get back, because it might be a statistical fluke. Then, we will compare results with the Forest People, who are undergoing a parallel study, so we can acquire peer-review empirical evidence and eat the liver with confidence. I hope this study goes well, because I am really tired of eating berries."

[@HuckleberryHim]

Or it might be a liver fluke

[@sophiejones7727]

omigod please make this a webcomic.

[@dejapoo5508]

....... " and we need another group to eat only placebos "

[@dejapoo5508]

@@HuckleberryHim Ta Dahhhh !!! Oh dear :-)

[@Davito2000]

Fellow bipeds, I have bad news: Thag ran across a relic stegosaurus while hunting for liver... there was an accident.

[@monikakavaliunaite8017]

Ancient humans : *finds any kind of lifeforms* Ancient humans : IMMA PUT IT IN MY MOUTH

[@Theelderscrolls52]

My toddler.....

[@Noname-67]

@@Theelderscrolls52 toddler would put things that aren't lifeform

[@SoniaSephia]

Instragram Health Influences: "Is ThIs PaLeO? First Humans: "Can I eat this and not die?"

[@commentingisawasteoftime7195]

21st century me inspecting roadkill:. "Can I eat this and not get sick?"

[@fionagibson7529]

@@commentingisawasteoftime7195 depends on how long it’s been dead and what part got crushed, I think

[@commentingisawasteoftime7195]

@@fionagibson7529 also how hot it is and if you're worried about a rib puncturing the guts, you can take the quarters and backstrap without entering the cavity.

[@marcuswu4922]

Glad to know that the tendency of toddlers to stuff anything small enough into their mouths can be explained by evolutionary biology

[@crazycatlady39]

Calories are important. Lol.

[@enviromental2565]

When my son was 1 year he chewed up a slug. I had to get the disgusting mess out of his mouth and cried the whole time (me, not the child).

[@kaitlyndevlin6955]

Babies putting things in their mouths actually has to do with how developed their senses are, they can feel better with their mouths than hands.

[@mikshinee87]

@@enviromental2565 There was a very dark case of a teenage kid that ate a gardening sług on a dare. The sług contained a deadly parasite that caused lungworm disease. The boy was in a coma and died. So lucky that you were there in time, imagine if your son swallowed it.

[@Theelderscrolls52]

My toddler licked a rock this morning......

[@sonyakinsey4376]

According to Pinterest, our ancestors ate "paleo diet cupcakes, with whipped mocca frosting, and organic fairtrade cocoa". I eagerly await confirmation of this diet through the fossil record.

[@TheSpecialJ11]

Yeah. I came across a paleo recipe that called for bread flour and sugar. I was thinking "You're kidding. Just because you made it from scratch doesn't mean it's paleo. Do you even know what that word means?"

[@eggrollsoup]

@@TheSpecialJ11 lmao

[@BobbyBaloney]

Paleo yolo

[@theresemalmberg955]

Don't know how they could have eaten cocoa, as that came from the Americas, same with vanilla, and I'm not sure people were in the Americas that early. Mocca I take it to mean some form of coffee, which definitely wasn't a paleolithic thing. So nope. If it was processed, if it came from the Americas or other parts of the world that was not populated by humans during the paleolithic, if it is a recipe that involves techniques and equipment not available to said humans, it's not truly paleolithic. I also doubt that they had sugar back then.

[@LynnHermione]

I always wondered how was the process of people who discovered spices. Like, how they found out certain plants were tasty when put in other stuff and also helped slow rotting

[@viovenda8922]

They had nothing but time back then

[@sophiaruizuvalle2523]

Imagine if someone just ate a fist full of black pepper

[@noahjimenez5290]

@@sophiaruizuvalle2523 we shall honor the pain and suffering the first human who tried a mouthful of pepper so we could learn more about it for food

[@GodzillaofTokyo]

I wanna know who figured out how to make cassava root not be poisonous....like failed poisoning? Here enjoy this tapioca pudding, I swear it's not poisoned....

[@katastrofygames]

@@GodzillaofTokyo I’m not certain but I think when humans learned to heat up food with fire or dry it in the sun is when they made most poisonous foods safe. My question is, what drove ancient humans to toss food into fire in the first place? You would think that to them food is very precious and they wouldn’t want to throw something precious into fire. Maybe they were cold so they wanted to eat something warm and that’s when they tested out rudimentary “cooking”.

[@liquidkameleon]

"Our willingness to eat anything is the hallmark of the human story, going back to our earliest hominid relatives" A legacy continued today during weekend nights by drunken youth who will risk their life for a very suspicious kebab.

[@Eltipoquevisteayer]

Or stoners going into taco bell

[@Identified_Idiot]

@@Eltipoquevisteayer I notice a UK US culture differance between these two comments.

[@JubioHDX]

Me, age 20, eating a chicken drumstick thats been uncovered at room temperature on a plate for 36 hours

[@TheSpecialJ11]

"I'm sure it's at least a mammal"

[@tonyatthebeach]

@@JubioHDX Been there. I spent a long weekend on the toilet

[@unicornswag888]

*_Gotta get that protein._*

[@lostpockets2227]

thanks

[@cornloin9732]

thank you Muscle Hank

[@mikeoxmaul45]

Good moning Hank

[@gavincrump9831]

Eat spinach

[@user-zg2sj8qh9q]

True. Kids, drink your milk!

[@Robert399]

3:58 That Swiss Army Knife has preserved remarkably well!

[@madil2259]

The Swiss would be proud.

[@LeatherNeck1833]

And it maintained it's color too! Must be an original.

[@shizukousapostle1stapostle710]

Oh you people make my day

[@LeatherNeck1833]

@Black_Rhino 241 Hope their scissors were better than ours!

[@yuenin5318]

Master crafted.

[@AndrusPr8]

Eating shrimp with Rice, Peas, onion, red and green peper, dringking orange juice and looking foward that delicious ice cream for dessert I realized how varied my dinner is

[@indoorsandout3022]

Shrimp are bugs that live in water. Enjoy your bugs.

[@Nmethyltransferase]

Paleo(tm)(r) dieters: "If we only ate like our ancestors, we'd avoid all disease!" Our ancestors:

[@auveus5036]

Yes, that's exactly what would happen. Diet has nothing to do with this whatsoever with how they required it; Living, not diet.

[@magichands135]

3:56 And not a word about the excavated prehistoric swiss knife.

[@SuviTuuliAllan]

nvm

[@redmadhatter03]

ran out of bananas for scale

[@dodoslovensko]

That is because it predates the bones by 1000 000 years .

[@JR-gp2zk]

That is not a swiss knife, it is an indo-european knife.

@@JR-gp2zk I see what you did there

[@elrondhubbard7059]

It's mind-blowing to think just how many generations of humans there have been and how small your life is in the timeline. Also how weird this modern era is compared to the millions of years that preceded it. 99% of all the humans so far have been these hairy ape people wandering around killing mammoths, it's only been the last 10,000 years that we began to make towns, cities and civilisations, and then it's only been the last couple of hundred years that we started to exponentially develop our technology. So at one time it seems like we're just another human generation, one among millions of others that have come before, but on the hand the position we're in now is really strange and unprecedented.

[@justdude2775]

Most of our history is manufactured. We are not ready to learn the truth.

[@camerontaylor7471]

The sad about the reality of the situation... is that humanity will never truly know where we came from...

[@LeonWagg]

Just Dude Tell us we all want to know.

[@Taydiablo3]

We will die like they did, not all bus some and then we will be Neanderthals to the next species of human.

[@elrondhubbard7059]

@@justdude2775 Do you think the scientists are all just in on a conspiracy to make up fossils?

[@ber2996]

Paleolithic kids will understand, like this if you were born between 2.5 million and 9600 BCE

[@gruzza9000]

Gotcha, thanks for being there

[@Hossak]

One of the absolute constants of our existence is starvation. I suspect most of our ancient ancestors were always a week away from serious malnutrition, so I don't blame them for eating anything they came across. The energy and nutrition equation demands it. This condition was really only addressed in the last 40 years.

[@nchia]

It never ceases to amaze me how the really complex sounding terms and names roll so effortlessly off the PBS Eons presenters's tongues.

[@tabularasa0606]

Lots of practice, before they record.

[@the1shrubbery]

@@tabularasa0606 I dont think its practice before they record, more like years of studying using those terms until it forms part of their daily vocabulary.

[@nahor88]

Every time he said "hominid" though I couldn't stop thinking "humana humana humana". He should say "HAH-muh-nid" more slowly instead of "huh-muh-nid".

[@elsonlam]

They've been using those words for so long, they have become natural for them. For example, the ancient Romans spoke Latin fluently because that's their mother's language. When I try, I summon the devil.

[@TheSublimeLifestyle]

That’s what happens when you’re an actual professional in a field. It’s a part of his vocab - just like curse words fly from a lot of our vocab, naturally 😂

[@robertkirby8685]

The original Paleo Diet: Meat from wild animals you hunted and wild edible plants that you came across.

[@kenmc5690]

Mainly wild plants the women gathered while the men hunted meat, according to my Grandmother.

[@carissstewart3211]

If twinkies grew on trees, a whole lot of those.

[@bluestormpony]

correction, meat from wild animals. and whatever plants didnt kill the first guy who ate them

[@no_more_free_nicks]

In those days, that would include you.

[@vamsighorakavi7594]

You forgot insects

[@indoorsandout3022]

Nutmeg is my favorite spice. At a very high dose, it can cause hallucinations. At an extreme dose it can cause death. But it is absolutely delightful in very small amounts.

[@user-tu4jp4vr7d]

Honestly, never thought about how early anthropologists were western and didn't eat bugs, so they never thought about them as a food source. But, now makes perfect sense. Thanks!

[@Sciencerely]

As a human biologists, it's really fascinating to think how our diet has impacted our species. Roughly 20 000 ago a mutation occurred which made humans lactose tolerant. Since this was a huge selective advantage during periods of starvation the mutation quickly spread and, now, the majority of Europeans are lactose tolerant (I made a video about this a while ago). I think that's a great example of how a small change in diet (and a small mutation) can change a species!

[@jackshen5093]

Life Lab Learner was that a mutation or a change in gene expression induced by the milk-drinking environment?

[@vi0let781]

i am one failed european then lol

[@Handsy_McGee]

@@vi0let781 it's not like 100% of Europeans can eat dairy. And heck, the rest of the world is in the same boat.

[@krankarvolund7771]

@William Baker Well, I guess taht's why he said "majority of eropeans", that oddly does not designate all hmans on Earth :p

[@Leomoon101]

Honestly humans of African descent tended to be the least tolerant of milk, at least that's what I heard in school.

[@ChrisBryer]

What did humans eat? Yes.

[@hiimryan2388]

If its edible it is edible

[@AeonAxisProductions]

nature: you shouldnt eat that humans: how bout i do a n y w a y?

[@lc-mx1ir]

@@hiimryan2388 humans eat even if its not edible, if the eater dies then the eater who survive will have offsprings and pass on his immunity

[@DieselSamurai]

To think, humans have been eating meat for a million years... If you ask a vegan, we just started recently... Sorry vegans, I'll keep eating what our ancestors did, everything.

[@Ninkira]

The note on cultural bias at 5:32 is GREAT, i think its so important to include items like this particularly in these quick look kind of videos!! Thanks Eons team!

[@Chezzprinn]

"My only regret is that I have boneitis." -- our ancestor, probably.

[@plant5875]

I think it's called Osteitis

[@ottogreen2749]

@@plant5875 Not if you're an 80's businessman taking over a delivery company.

[@plant5875]

@@ottogreen2749 huh?

[@singerdesign]

@@plant5875 it's a reference to Futurama

[@SuperMrHiggins]

Awesome Awesome to the max.

[@aidanharrison3888]

To this day those crazy Norway guys love heavy metal

[@flyingdart9819]

I love Norwegian Black Metal. It's very delicious.

[@nex7886]

@@flyingdart9819 One Burzum a day keeps Euronymous away.

[@topiheimola69]

All vikings do

[@rickseiden1]

"The fish was toxic, but we ate it anyway." Um....Puffer fish...still do it.

[@rooseveltbrentwood9654]

Rick Seiden yes but we do it very carefully

[@HuckleberryHim]

And also regular fish. Those ancient pollutants didn't just vanish; they actually increased manifold due to human activity.

[@primusloy]

@@HuckleberryHim I have been eating fish all my life, im not dead, neither are other people in my town

[@sophiejones7727]

and olives. actually lots of things we eat are toxic if they aren't prepared in a *really* specific way that one has to wonder how the frick people ever thought of in the first place.

[@haykalhakeem4473]

@@primusloy aren't most toxins pollutants etc need to build up in your body first before it becomes dangerous? That or you consume like a gazillion toxic fish at once

[@Phlebas]

The intro reminds me, someone I know is a big believer in naturopathy and all that entails. So she went to a naturopath who prescribed her a crapload of vitamin A and she ended up with vitamin A toxicity, which led to a trip to the emergency room. It's been about three years and she still has chronic issues that she has to deal with. Frustratingly, her take on this whole thing was, "well, _that_ naturopath was obviously a quack, but my new one's great!" Which means I guess he hasn't poisoned her yet.

[@STrouwborst]

Cooking food also made a very big difference. Eating too much liver can be dangerous, for instance, the Inuit always divide the liver in their group so everyone gets a tiny portion and they have enough vitamin C in the end because they have hardly any plant-based food. Clever people the Inuit...

[@spritemon98]

1,000 ways to die prehistoric edition

[@procrastinator99]

That's a movie I'd actually watch.

[@firegator6853]

1. lions 2.hyenas 3.poisonous plant food 4.stung by too many bees 5.eating a dangerous bug 6.mammoths 7.rhinos 8.crocodiles ok i give up

[@RHD_lantz]

A Thousand? You could died with anything from prehistoric era..

[@dominickninz9666]

@S A Sorry to break it to you but hominids and dinosaurs didn't co-exist together tho

[@mosquitobight]

Wonder if woolly mammoths were tameable

[@sarcasmo57]

I don't feel so bad about eating all those grasshoppers this morning.

[@theonefromk7602]

did you ferment those too?

[@zaraterosas]

Mexican from Oaxaca?

[@112cla50]

Wat?

[@enviromental2565]

I have an irrational fear of grasshoppers, so eating them is out for me.

[@MarcosElMalo2]

Abraham Zarate If that chapulín ate grasshoppers, that’d be cannibalism.

[@dillon7981]

Imagine living back during this time and having no knowledge of any animal, like the crocodile, and just living and surviving.. really puts things into perspective. this video is awesome

[@MsOSheDidIt]

Please there's so many videos of people now that have no idea what type of animal they are shown. I saw one, with yes a blonde girl swearing a goose on the water was an ostrich! People have no idea what chickens really look like unless it's breaded and fried! 😂

[@vighnesh_m]

3:57 Aah, the swiss army knife The favoured tool of our ancestors

[@johnanderson2419]

That’s all that’s left of an ancient ray mears

[@slwrabbits]

Lol, someone forgot their size reference that day. I used a 1 cc syringe in a pinch once.

[@topiheimola69]

Lol

[@islandplace7235]

Such a mysterious and fascinating part of our past.

[@p_ma]

Lefevers home its like history is a person and this part of its past is like a memory from its infantry.

[@sabersquid2523]

William alright then

[@KristinkaAranova]

Will - so since you’re the expert, tell us all about our past.

[@YoungTheFish]

"This episode makes you hungry for more human...... evolution content."

[@TheDarkever]

3:55 Ooooh a rare fossil of a 1.55 million years old swiss pocket knife. Those are rare!

[@nakenmil]

These videos are a blessing of sanity in an insane world. Thanks.

[@gregoryfenn1462]

When you mentioned taking a risk for food that might be tasty, I couldn’t help but think of that Tide Pod challenge last year. Some weird instinct to eat something ridiculous just because on an evolutionary instinct, there’s a chance it’s an amazing new source of nutrition

[@justinokraski3796]

the problem with that meme though was that it started off as an inside joke among autism spectrum communities about how "normal" people assumed they would eat tide pods, only to then mutate into a thing with people actually trying it as a social thing... maybe people would try new things as a way to build social prestige

[@zooker7938]

That has nothing to do with tide pods at all. The people who ate tide pods were just stupid. They did it for clout, not for an instinct to be adventurous. Tide pods are packets of toxic chemicals and everyone knows it.

[@gregoryfenn1462]

Werewolf O. London, Esq. thank you 😊

[@izthistle6196]

As a gen z I can testify that tide pod isn’t very tasty or nutritious

[@joshuao4928]

Carnivore livers, Tide Pods of the pleistocene era.

[@Twitchi]

One thing that's never a risk is the support of our boi STEVE mysterious benefactor, so enigmatic I really would like to know more about him.. if it even is one person?

[@mal2ksc]

_On the Internet, nobody knows you're an atmospheric phenomenon._ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_(atmospheric_phenomenon)

[@ravenwolf7128]

OK Blake, I'd like an episode on how you stay so buff. Especially during quarantine. Thank you.

[@hexstaticloonatic4194]

Underrated comment

[@ravenwolf7128]

@@paulleddy3185 I mostly left the comment because I'm a Blake fan, but did try weights and powders, problem is I have rheumatoid arthritis and repetitive stress injuries and tore a rotator cuff, so lifting a pencil is a challenge now.....old lady syndrome is slowly taking over my body and it sucks. I never understood why old people don't work harder to stay fit--now I get it--illnesses like autoimmunity and chronic inflammation can overwhelm you....and all I can do is watch my muscles disappear and my bones dissolve like every other old lady. just glad if I can get out of bed.

[@ravenwolf7128]

@@paulleddy3185 you're so kind to care--thank you. isn't it an odd thing how connected we are and yet we are all strangers here. I do follow many of those suggestions--which is probably why I'm not worse--I don't take immune suppressing drugs either. I homestead and grow some organic foods--get plenty of sunshine even in winter. it's hard work tho and sometimes I just can't do things I wish I could. I'm worn out. The stresses in my life kicked me over the edge into autoimmunity I think--we are more than a machine....A broken heart can be life threatening tho doctors don't know how to treat that--I see a therapist but it's a drop in an ocean so to speak. I'm just glad for every day I'm still alive and carry on. Don't know why I'm telling you all this but don't expect you to have a solution--just sharing my humanity. I'm sure there are a lot of other people out there who can relate. sending my compassion out to those who struggle with limitations--there are still good things you can do and be, even if you are not able to get ripped muscles. Who knows maybe I'll go into remission and start lifting.....

[@graup1309]

After this video I have a lot fewer questions as to how we came to use some of the more complicated fermentation processes we use today. Especially ones that make food edible in the first place

[@fancydeer]

Paleo Daddy has blessed us on this day.

[@lestatangel]

They pretty much ate everything. Including each other on occasion.

[@rds7696]

hmmm..."ate" ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@lestatangel]

@@rds7696 Obligate carnivores.

[@prehistoricorchid3455]

heck i mean we still do after doing dumb things and we end up isolated without other food sorces.

[@lestatangel]

@@prehistoricorchid3455 I always carry seasonings. Just in case. 🖤

[@commentingisawasteoftime7195]

@@lestatangel human is supposed to be close to pork. I think rabbit is close to chicken and the best way I could describe a pet cat(roadkill-I don't kill people's pets) is better than the best pork you ever had.

[@TraphouseTCG]

My man been hitting the weights during Covid💪🏼

[@tahirsengine]

You always take us on a journey in the past, what connects us all. Thank you.

[@rkbkirin5975]

Great video! Thank you for mentioning insects were a likely part of our ancestor's diets. I hate those trendy paleo diets proclaiming ancient humans chowing down on steaks and ribs every night was somehow historical or natural. They bring up BS 'evidence' just as flawed as all the trendy vegan diets claiming that humans have actually evolved to be herbivores. Nice to see this video pointing out we evolved to eat *everything and anything^ and that's how we managed to survive. Science and actual facts are becoming a rarity these days and it's good that there are still sources for them.

[@notsure6187]

The last time I was this early I was being chased by Titannis Waleri down the Brazilian Serengeti.

[@cintronproductions9430]

Them terror birbs were pretty damn fierce, they had a hatchet for a face. That's hardcore.

[@vinces7001]

Not Sure. So Still a VIRGIN¥

[@vincentx2850]

Lower case for the species name my friend

[@planescaped]

pics or it didn't happen.

[@angeliparraguirre7329]

That is early. First nations rep i see ;)

[@drew96]

This guy is getting more and more comfortable with his presentations.

[@quarkraven]

I absolutely love this video and can't possibly get enough of videos like it. Thank you!!!!!

[@sanveersookdawe]

Whoever makes the animations for this show, please make a short movie. It woulf be great to see these works of art come to life😮

[@overhealing7691]

This has the same energy as eating instant ramen you never heard before until you bought because it's on sale

[@Splarkszter]

thanks to PBS my knowledge is growing much faster.

[@jessedejager7408]

Hey, this is a great channel! Can’t believe that I didn’t find it earlier, very interesting and informative

[@markeppley1287]

Finally some more stuff on ancient hominids. Please more videos on human evolution!!

[@SmallSnailMarie]

I love PBS Eons 😊 learning about everything on here is so interesting!

[@tabularasa0606]

Learning science is always interesting, no matter the subject.

[@andreasimon2752]

So crazy how we know all this stuff about our past.... It's like putting a puzzle together

[@erikswanson5753]

I really like these videos. We're not talked down to and the presenters actually know the correct pronunciation, and isn't just some 20 something who would treat this like a big joke.

[@efilwv1635]

Anyone with common sense should know that the diet was stupid. Our ancestors ate what they could...plus they didn’t live a sedentary lifestyle. Running 10 miles to snag a wooly mammoths...eating berries along the way so they wouldn’t pass out from exhaustion. A little different from the modern world.

[@tomasvrabec1845]

Bit off but... I like livers but it always depends from what they are.

[@gibbyjones1040]

i agree - your ancestors were stupid

[@shionkreth7536]

I love when ill-informed statements preface with "anyone with common sense(would think the same as me).".

[@firegator6853]

when you live in the wild you can't have choices only your luck will choose what you will eat

[@thewhite8uard]

There are different chances of opportunities to catch a prey and to find berries. And nutrition values of these are different either. A lucky hunt provide food for a week for whole family, no need whole family to run whole week. Researches of modern hunter-gatherers show they're spending time for recreation activities and rest more than populations of developed countries.

[@Tekutteku]

I've been binged watching your videos for the last 2 weeks and FINALLY I've caught up now. Your content is so world widening, fun, and comprehensible. 😁

[@Randomguy-zv3tv]

Me too

[@Articulate99]

Always informative, thank you.

[@TerribleInThOriginal]

"Like how in modern day people will still seek out and try risky food" My brain: "blowfish....."

[@KJNZ2011]

I love the eons series... keeps me entertained and interested. Love from New Zealand. Hope you all are safe and well

[@midnandlinkforever]

I love this series so much. In college, my favorite classes were anthropology. I especially loved the biological anthropology subject. If I could do anything, I would study prehumans and our closest living relatives. Thanks for these videos! They've answered a lot of questions I had in college that weren't covered. :)

[@neub4321]

This is an episode I can relate to more than some others.

[@kittydollsxo189]

our ancestors went through hell and back to survive yet I’m here crying over spilled ice cream. It was because of them I am living in comfort.

[@joeljacques3635]

I always look forward to new eons episodes, and I watch old ones a lot to fall asleep. It's very calming and I end up learning so much

[@MetalliacFeather]

No other species: Our ancestors: I wonder how this tastes.

[@jdr9419]

Fascinating! Thanks for the information!

[@CorbiniteVids]

I feel like this is a pretty good illustration of how we're opportunate omnivores, rather than obligate omnivores

[@Yungrexk]

Last time I was this early American lion were stalking me It was scary

[@vinces7001]

SlamDunkyX. You will be More scared when You Loose Your Virginity!

[@siechamontillado]

Were they lion-n-wait for you?! I'll show myself out...

[@scienceshowjp7543]

Last time i was this early , it was the first time i was this early

[@Yungrexk]

Vince S what you mean

[@Yungrexk]

Vince S just because Iam 18 I can’t have ainme as my profile 😖😢 Jk but I am 18

[@xdoodlelover]

This is such a cool series. I hope you guys never stop making these.

[@arsenfaradzhev2837]

Thank you very much for this video!

[@sagacious03]

Pretty interesting! Thanks for uploading!

[@OakleyKulu007]

Ah yes, I do remember when I snapped my short body's leg climbing up shelves trying to get a small container of honey too.

[@averyvanderlouw1193]

@Taiwanlight cave man medicine: “leg broken one way? I break it another way! Now I tie wood to it” *picks off fleas from armpit hair*

[@enviromental2565]

Only time I ever broke a bone was when mom tried to ride me in front of her on a bike when I was 4 and I fell off and broke my collarbone. Ahh the 60s.

[@AO00720]

I always wondered how we learned what’s Edible and What’s not. 1:46 guess that answers my question.

[@scooterking136]

PBS is the GOAT, this is super interesting.

[@diogopinto6039]

I love this channel! Thanks PBS =)

[@mauriciomunoz87]

This is the content I come here for. Thanks again Eons!

[@nealsterling8151]

I'm curious, if Insects where a part of our ancestors diet (which i do not doubt) why do many people nowadays (including myself) find insects to be extremely disgusting and thinking about eating them to be nauseating?

[@russelsellick316]

Some hunter gatherers still eat grubs and such.

[@susannah_hb4388]

It’s a social thing. You’re raised to see them as gross.

[@lindaj5492]

Culture. It’s what you’re taught.

[@jbjaguar2717]

Kinda weird how people find eating insects strange, but will happily eat shrimp, which are close relations of insects. Personally there's no chance I'd ever eat octopus but some people think that's normal too.

[@DavidGarcia-oi5nt]

I love u so much PBS Eons, you ignite that childish wonder of the world within me

[@Anya_Aprelskaya]

So true! Thank you for describing what this strange yet nice feeling is. I couldn't quite tell what I was feeling, but I knew it was something other than just curiosity

[@Kmart929292]

Love the show, keep up the good work.

[@johnfajer7691]

My 5 year old loves watching PBS Eons! Keep it up!

[@uvwuvw-ol3fg]

Agreed, such a good presentation, yet full of cultural platitudes, confirmation bias and selection bias (always leaving out pan paniscus due to their reactive socially functional group bonding which is opposite to pan troglodytes society based on proactive political games over status).

[@prometheus4616]

Are you sure he/she is 5 years old?🧐

[@Ahrim565]

this was so fun and interesting to watch! thanks for this episode :)

[@1esimiphaeus875]

Our ancestors are legends they Go through all the hardships in order to survive 28.9.2021

[@Laceylunai]

My internship was in Gona Ethiopia! :D

[@katepayne58]

I just love eons, every video is so informative with such great graphics

[@grymgungus3933]

Wrong, she just drank too much bone-hurting juice.

[@YouzACoopa]

can confirm, I just checked the science

[@SatiricalLizard]

Joke's on me. I still can't eat cashews without dying.

[@annaz2011]

these videos are pushing me through quarantine