Edible Insects and the Genus Homo

Abstract

In this second paleoanthropology chapter, the focus shifts to later human evolution with members of the genus Homo. Over the evolution of our genus, morphology and behaviors emerge that are more similar to our own. In reconstructing the insect portion of the diet for these hominins, present-day foragers provide a better-fit model than nonhuman primates. The genus Homo was the first to colonize outside of Africa, and as humans began to occupy the far reaches of the world, environmental conditions were less suitable for insect eating in some regions over others. Outside of the tropics, the predictability and reliability of insects as a food source is greatly reduced, so the absence of insect eating in these regions today may have a deep history.