Adaptive foraging behaviours in the Horn of Africa during Toba supereruption. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38509364/)

These scientists found an ancient site in Ethiopia called Shinfa-Metema 1, where they discovered evidence of early humans living around 74,000 years ago. At this site, they found tools that suggested these humans used bows and arrows for hunting. They also found evidence that these early humans ate a variety of animals, both on land and in the water.

By studying the teeth of ancient animals and ostrich eggshells at the site, the scientists learned that the area was very dry and arid when these early humans lived there. Despite the harsh conditions, the people at this site were able to adapt by fishing in small, shallow waterholes during the dry season. This flexibility in finding food helped them survive and potentially even travel out of Africa to other parts of the world.

Overall, this study shows how early humans were able to adapt to challenging environments and use their skills to thrive even in difficult conditions.

Kappelman J., Todd LC., Davis CA., Cerling TE., Feseha M., Getahun A., Johnsen R., Kay M., Kocurek GA., Nachman BA., Negash A., Negash T., O'Brien K., Pante M., Ren M., Smith EI., Tabor NJ., Tewabe D., Wang H., Yang D., Yirga S., Crowell JW., Fanuka MF., Habtie T., Hirniak JN., Klehm C., Loewen ND., Melaku S., Melton SM., Myers TS., Millonig S., Plummer MC., Riordan KJ., Rosenau NA., Skinner A., Thompson AK., Trombetta LM., Witzel A., Assefa E., Bodansky M., Desta AA., Campisano CJ., Dalmas D., Elliott C., Endalamaw M., Ford NJ., Foster F., Getachew T., Haney YL., Ingram BH., Jackson J., Marean CW., Mattox S., de la Cruz Medina K., Mulubrhan G., Porter K., Roberts A., Santillan P., Sollenberger A., Sponholtz J., Valdes J., Wyman L., Yadeta M., Yanny S. Adaptive foraging behaviours in the Horn of Africa during Toba supereruption. Nature. 2024 Mar 20. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07208-3.