THE BORE

General => The Superdeep Borehole => Topic started by: ToxicAdam on November 09, 2012, 12:57:43 AM

Title: Why we still got monkeys? Because they can't cook.
Post by: ToxicAdam on November 09, 2012, 12:57:43 AM
A recent study published in the PNAS seems to make the case:

(http://www.popsci.com/files/imagecache/article_image_big/articles/caloric-needs.png)

Quote
...more than any social or environmental factor–humans own their giant cognitive leap to the ancestral chefs and proto grill masters who invented cooked food.

Why? According to the researchers, a diet of raw foods can’t support an endless growth of both brawn and brains. Larger body sizes and bigger brains both meant more energy use, which meant more time spent eating each day.

And, since no primate can sustain a daily foraging requirement of much more than eight hours (gorillas average close to eight, but sometimes spend closer to nine), our ancestors must have found some way to get more energy in less time

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-10/eating-cooked-food-made-us-human-study-finds

This is a kind of 'chicken or egg' conundrum .. but an interesting way to look at it.
Title: Re: Why we still got monkeys? Because they can't cook.
Post by: Cormacaroni on November 09, 2012, 01:56:05 AM
There is also the theory that our brains grew to support the motor control of opposable thumbs (and all the things you can do with them). But of course, opposable thumbs enable cooking. Possibly multiple upgrade paths lead to the same end point
Title: Re: Why we still got monkeys? Because they can't cook.
Post by: Mandark on November 09, 2012, 02:47:02 AM
There's also a hypothesis that cooking allowed for weaker jaw muscles, which in turn meant smaller sagittal crests and more room in the skull.
Title: Re: Why we still got monkeys? Because they can't cook.
Post by: Cormacaroni on November 09, 2012, 02:48:21 AM
Have we tested that by biting chimps though
Title: Re: Why we still got monkeys? Because they can't cook.
Post by: Cerveza mas fina on November 09, 2012, 07:43:16 AM
Never heard the energy theory, nice one.
Title: Re: Why we still got monkeys? Because they can't cook.
Post by: Joe Molotov on November 09, 2012, 09:21:29 AM
There is also the theory that our brains grew to support the motor control of opposable thumbs (and all the things you can do with them). But of course, opposable thumbs enable cooking. Possibly multiple upgrade paths lead to the same end point

Chimps invested all their skill points in tree climbing. Haha, lrn2play newbs.
Title: Re: Why we still got monkeys? Because they can't cook.
Post by: Brehvolution on November 09, 2012, 09:32:39 AM
There is also talk of Jesus.
Title: Re: Why we still got monkeys? Because they can't cook.
Post by: Diunx on November 09, 2012, 09:36:32 AM
Was Jesus the first Iron Cheff?
Title: Why we still got monkeys? Because they can't cook.
Post by: Shaka Khan on November 09, 2012, 09:44:27 AM
There is also the theory that our brains grew to support the motor control of opposable thumbs (and all the things you can do with them). But of course, opposable thumbs enable cooking. Possibly multiple upgrade paths lead to the same end point

Chimps invested all their skill points in tree climbing. Haha, lrn2play newbs.

:lol
Title: Re: Why we still got monkeys? Because they can't cook.
Post by: Cerveza mas fina on November 09, 2012, 10:24:00 AM
There is also the theory that our brains grew to support the motor control of opposable thumbs (and all the things you can do with them). But of course, opposable thumbs enable cooking. Possibly multiple upgrade paths lead to the same end point

Chimps invested all their skill points in tree climbing. Haha, lrn2play newbs.

 :teehee  :lol
Title: Re: Why we still got monkeys? Because they can't cook.
Post by: Human Snorenado on November 09, 2012, 10:35:20 AM
There is also the theory that our brains grew to support the motor control of opposable thumbs (and all the things you can do with them). But of course, opposable thumbs enable cooking. Possibly multiple upgrade paths lead to the same end point

Chimps invested all their skill points in tree climbing. Haha, lrn2play newbs.

If only real life were like D3 instead of D2, all they'd have to do is change a rune.   :'(