How Sliced Meat Altered the Course of Human Evolution

(Credit: RossHelen/Shutterstock) Taking fewer bites during meals may have contributed to human evolution in a big way. Researchers at the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University published a study suggesting human teeth and jaws started shrinking once our ancestors figured out how to use primitive tools to process their foods prior to eating. Slicing, pounding and mashing meat and vegetables allowed us to spend less energy chewing, which, researchers say, led to a gradual decline in the size of the jaw muscles and teeth that were called upon to accomplish this task. While the decline in jaw and tooth size is well-known, this study replicated ancient diets with modern humans, and provides the first empirical evidence to support the link between a change in diet and tooth and jaw size. Researchers believe easing the burden of mastication may have triggered monumental changes in human evolution. They say smaller teeth and jaws may have altered our speech patterns, how we regulate body heat and could have even affected the size and shape of our brains.