Human brain evolution: The influence of freshwater and marine food resources

HUMAN BRAIN EVOLUTION......Page 5
CONTENTS......Page 7
FOREWORD: EVOLUTION, ENCEPHALIZATION, ENVIRONMENT......Page 9
INTRODUCTION......Page 15
CONTRIBUTORS......Page 21
Natural Selection......Page 23
Macroevolution......Page 24
Patterns in Human Evolution......Page 25
Symbolic Cognition......Page 27
Exaptation and Emergence......Page 30
Large Brains and Aquatic Resources......Page 31
References......Page 32
Introduction – Lipids and Evolution......Page 35
The Evolution of Complex Life Forms......Page 36
The Language of Lipids......Page 37
DHA......Page 39
Evolution of Homo sapiens......Page 41
DHA and Neural Pathways?......Page 44
A Comment on AA......Page 46
The Third Phase of Earth’s Life History – AA and Reproduction in Mammals......Page 47
Darwin and the Conditions of Existence......Page 48
Implications......Page 49
References......Page 50
Introduction......Page 55
Brain Evolution in Hominins......Page 57
Need for A New Paradigm......Page 60
Brain Development......Page 62
Energy Requirements of the Brain......Page 63
Nutrients and Brain Function......Page 66
Brain-Selective Nutrients......Page 68
Critical Importance of Baby Fat in Humans......Page 74
Gene – Nutrient Interactions......Page 79
Conclusions......Page 81
References......Page 83
Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) Molecular Structure......Page 87
DHA and Neural Function......Page 88
Metabolic and Biophysical Considerations......Page 90
Functional Importance of DHA in Retinal and Neural Membranes......Page 92
Dietary Need for Preformed DHA......Page 93
DHA Intake During Pregnancy and Lactation: Effects on Higher CNS Functions of the Mother and Infant......Page 95
References......Page 96
Introduction......Page 99
Our Genetic Background......Page 100
Adaptation to the Conditions of Existence......Page 101
Western Diets and the Human Genome......Page 103
Brain-Selective Nutrients in Health and Disease......Page 105
Dietary Fatty Acids at the Land–Water Interface......Page 106
Tanzanian Breast Milk Fatty Acids Versus Western Recommendations......Page 111
Estimated Fatty Acid Intakes from Shore-Based Paleolithic Diets......Page 115
Conclusions......Page 118
References......Page 119
Appendix......Page 125
Thyroid Hormone Metabolism and Function......Page 127
Antioxidant Activity of Iodine......Page 130
Dietary Sources of Iodine......Page 132
Iodine Deficiency Disorders......Page 133
Human Brain Evolution......Page 135
Thyroid Hormone, Iodine, and Human Brain Evolution......Page 139
Conclusion......Page 140
References......Page 141
Introduction......Page 147
Food for Thought......Page 148
Human Nutrition and Physiology......Page 149
Archaeological Evidence for the Antiquity of Fishing......Page 150
Conclusions......Page 154
References......Page 155
Introduction......Page 159
Hominid Exploitation of Wetlands Environments and Resources......Page 161
Early Hominins: Colonization of New Environments......Page 166
Plio-Pleistocene Climate Instability and Use of Wetlands Resources......Page 169
Intensification of Wetlands Vegetation Exploitation......Page 171
The Shift to High-Quality Foods......Page 173
Preconditions for Encephalization......Page 177
Precessional Forcing, Drying Lakes/Rivers, and Die-Offs of Aquatic Faunas......Page 179
Mammal Meat: A Later Hominin Adaptation?......Page 180
Postscript: H. heidelbergensis and H. sapiens......Page 182
Summary......Page 183
References......Page 184
Introduction......Page 195
Results......Page 199
Discussion......Page 205
References......Page 208
Introduction......Page 211
Changes......Page 212
Climate Change......Page 218
A New Narrative......Page 220
References......Page 222
Neurochemical and Nutritional Evidence......Page 225
The Fossil Evidence......Page 226
Plausibility, Prediction, and Parsimony......Page 227
Salient Points......Page 228
Reference......Page 229
INDEX......Page 231