Foods Role in the Evolution of the Human Jaw

You may have heard the old adage that you should chew your food, especially meat, at least 32 times before you try to swallow it. While that may be overkill for some types of soft food like ice cream or even bread, chewing, or lack thereof, may have actually contributed to the reasons human jaws became smaller and why we now have smaller numbers of teeth in those jaws. What Caused the Decrease in Size of the Human Jaw? Researchers at Harvard University in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology now believe that the decrease in size of the human jaw was, in part, directed by the fact that human ancestors began to â€Å"process† their foods before they ate them. This does not mean adding artificial colors or flavors or the type of processing of food we think of today, but rather mechanical changes to the food such as cutting meat into smaller pieces or mashing fruits, vegetables, and grains into bite sized, small jaw friendly amounts. Without the large pieces of food that needed to be chewed more times to get them to pieces that could be swallowed safely, the human ancestors’ jaws did not have to be so large. Fewer teeth are needed in modern humans compared to their predecessors. For instance, wisdom teeth are now considered vestigial structures in humans when they were necessary in many of the human ancestors. Since jaw size has considerably gotten smaller throughout the evolution of humans, there is not enough room in some people’s jaws to comfortably fit the extra set of molars. Wisdom teeth were necessary when humans’ jaws were bigger and the food needed more chewing to be fully processed before being able to be swallowed safely. The Evolution of Human Teeth Not only did the human jaw shrink in size, so did the size of our individual teeth. While our molars and even bicuspids or pre-molars are still larger and flatter than our incisors and canine teeth, they are much smaller than the molars of our ancient ancestors. Before, they were the surface upon which grains and vegetables were ground into processed pieces that could be swallowed. Once the early humans figured out how to use various food preparation tools, the processing of the food happened outside of the mouth. Instead of needing large, flat surfaces of teeth, they could use tools to mash these types of foods on tables or other surfaces. Communication and Speech While the size of the jaw and the teeth were important milestones in the evolution of humans, it created more of a change in habits besides just how many times food was chewed before swallowed. Researchers believe the smaller teeth and jaws led to changes in communication and speech patterns, may have something to do with how our body processed changes in heat, and could even have affected the evolution of the human brain in areas that controlled these other traits. The actual experiment performed at Harvard University used 34 people in different experimental groups. One set of groups dined on vegetables early humans would have had access to, while another group got to chew on some goat meat—a type of meat that would have been plentiful and easy for those early humans to hunt and eat. The first round of the experiment involved the participants chewing completely unprocessed and uncooked foods. How much force was used with each bite was measured and the participants spit back out the fully chewed meal to see how well it was processed. The next round â€Å"processed† the foods the participants would chew. This time, the food was mashed or ground up using tools the human ancestors may have been able to find or make for food preparation purposes. Finally, another round of experiments were performed by slicing and cooking the foods. The results showed that the study participants used less energy and were able to eat the processed foods much more easily than those that were left â€Å"as is† and unprocessed. Natural Selection Once these tools and food preparation methods were widespread throughout the population, natural selection found that a larger jaw with more teeth and oversized jaw muscles were unnecessary. Individuals with smaller jaws, fewer teeth, and smaller jaw muscles became more common in the population. With the energy and time saved from chewing, hunting became more prevalent and more meat was incorporated into the diet. This was important for early humans because animal meat has more calories available, so more energy was then able to be used for life functions. This study found the more processed the food, the easier it was for the participants to eat. Could this be why the mega-processed food we find today on our supermarket shelves are often high in caloric value? The ease of eating processed foods is often cited as a reason for the obesity epidemic. Perhaps our ancestors who were trying to survive by using less energy for more calories have contributed to the state of modern human sizes.

Reflective Reflection - 1022 Words

As I look back and reflect on all that I have learned from my experiences from Afro-Am 151, I realized that I have learned much more than I expected to. I thought that I would just be learning about the concepts of the course, but I also learned who I am as a person, and even changed some of the ways I look at the world we live in. Going to my placement site of Packer helped me to better understand the concepts we learned about in class, as well as my inner feelings about the concepts. I learned that I used to think about and view the world in a way that most Americans do today as well. The problem with this is that it is not the best way to go through life. Growing up, I lived in a mostly white town, so I didn’t really think much about†¦show more content†¦I learned that they are no different than kids that come from money. Kids are kids. Eventually, I got to the point in the semester where I stopped thinking about their appearance and background because it didn†™t matter. They helped me notice things about the world that I hadn’t thought about before. One of the boys I was reading with one day pointed out that in all the books he reads, the characters are always white. Up until that point, I hadn’t noticed this. Now, whenever I read a book or watch TV or a movie, I make the same observations. The media is partially to blame for the way people feel about certain races because the majority of the things they show feature white people. The material they do show about other races is negative, which only fuels the negative thoughts and stereotypes. I thought it was really sad that kids are picking up on this trend because it makes it harder for them to find characters they can relate to and may develop negative thoughts about themselves as a result. I am grateful I was able to go to Packer because it opened my eyes to the injustices that kids face today. I would like to thank everyone at Packer for the amazing experience they pr ovided me with. You all made it an enjoyable time and welcomed me into the center. I appreciate all the help the workers did for me and the kids this semester. Justin, Rita and Atasha do so much to keep the center running smoothly. I wentShow MoreRelatedReflective Reflection On Reflective Practice2289 Words   |  10 PagesReflection is considered as a state of mind which is a continuous practice (Fanghanel, 2004, p. 576). It yields confidential and safe ways to demonstrate personal experiences as well as continuously challenging perceptions, illusions and biases that can be damaging to cultures and society. Reflective practice enables the practitioner to learn about themselves and their work, their culture and society in which they live. As a counsellor, the role of reflection is something that is essential in orderRead MoreReflective Reflection Essay999 Words   |  4 Pagespractising exist for counsellors, with reflective practice becoming more popular amongst practitioners. 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Euthanasia Should Be Abolished Essay Example For Students

Euthanasia Should Be Abolished Essay Euthanasia is the painless, intentional death of a person who is suffering. Euthanasia is wrong because it alters our natural way of survival, and upsets religous beliefs. By using euthanasia, ?miraculous? recoveries have been prevented. People think that the easy way out of their problems is by conducting euthanasia. It is not a natural thing to commit suicide, and suffering is no excuse for death.Suffering is a part of nature, and we should not try to fix and polish it by means of death. By reason alone, euthanasia sets us against our nature. Anyone who believes in God, and takes his own life, is acting against God. This person would violate the eighth commandment, ?thou shalt not kill?. Life is sacred. God, and only God, decides when a person is going to die. There is always the possibility of a miracle to occur. By performing Euthanasia, that is leaving no room for the ?miraculous? recoveries that frequently occur. My little brother was born with the left ventricle of his heart missing. In order to try to resolve this problem, he had to go through three operations within his first 3 years of life. The chances of him living through his first operation were next to nothing, but his family didnt give up hope. He is seven years old now and is active, normal, and doing great. The doctors told us that some children like my brother were killed because they were thought to be a hopeless life. In those cases, the child was not given a chance for a miracle like my brothers to happen. Knowing we can take our life at any time might incline us to give up too easily. The will to live is strong in all of us, but can be weakened by pain, by suffering, and by feelings of hopelessness. We never have a chance to reconsider our lives. We cant allow ourselve s to give in to the tempation. One today is worth two tomorrows. Euthanasia is wrong because it violates the nature and dignity of human beings. Suffering is a terrible thing, and we have a duty to comfort those in need, and to ease their suffering when we can. But suffering is also a part of nature and life, and it should not be altered by euthanasia. Euthanasia is not just an easeful death, but a wrongful death. Euthanasia is not just dying, but killing. Euthanasia is unethical.