What research results show

Research has shown that children in foraging communities show gender-specific development in foraging skills from an early age. These findings support the embodied capital theory, which explains the large increase in brain size in humans, along with the high levels of food sharing in these societies.

Researchers believe that their foraging skills provided early humans with a steady source of energy and nutrients, allowing them to devote more resources to brain development.

How was the research done?

The human brain is three times larger than that of other primate species, and a varied, quality diet and a long childhood are thought to be key factors behind this increase. The human diet is characterized by a variety of high-quality and hard-to-find foods that require sophisticated harvesting skills to collect, such as meat, fish, various nuts, and caterpillars.

To better understand how people acquire these skills, the research team followed 27 children from the BaYaka community in the Republic of the Congo for a year. These children begin foraging independently in peer groups at age five, and scientists have observed foraging methods, dietary composition and botanical knowledge during daily foraging excursions. The researchers also analyzed the nutritional value of the collected foods.

Experience plays an important role

The results of the study showed that BaYak children spend a third of their time looking for and obtaining food, and half of this time they work independently from adults. Most of their food consisted of fallen fruit, seeds, and tubers, but children also climbed 40-foot trees to gather honey or fruit.

The study also found gender differences in foraging skills; boys are more likely to eat fruit and seeds that require high tree climbing skills, and girls are more likely to pick tubers that require exceptional digging skills.

Our analysis showed that fruits, which make up 40% of the children’s diet, contain more sugar, particularly glucose and fructose, compared to other plant foods. No wonder they put so much effort into getting them.
– said Professor Nicole van Dam, co-author of the study.

What does it give?

The findings suggest that the early onset of gender specialization in foraging skills, coupled with high levels of food sharing in foraging societies, likely allowed early humans to have more stable energy and nutrient reserves. This, in turn, may have allowed them to devote more resources to brain development and ultimately led to the evolution of large human brains.