Food and human evolution

In relation to the environment, survival of the fittest has importantly influenced the 5-7 million-year evolution of structure and function in the hominin, Homo sapiens, food as environment undoubtedly playing a fundamental role in that regard, given the absolute requirement for food consumption for survival, survival manifested as reproductive success, a sine qua non of evolution by means of natural selection.

For example:

It seems likely, for example, that hunting for vertebrates, increased meat consumption, and expanded tool use were implicated in the evolutionary processes that led to the expansion and reorganization of the australopithecine brain and to the development of Homo's unique capacities for consciousness and semantic universality. There is, at least, little doubt that, throughout most of the Pleistocene, the evolution of biological repertoires and the evolution of behavioral repertoires were closely intertwined and that diet is one domain where the intersection was particularly noteworthy (Harris and Ross 1987).

References

• Harris M, Ross EB. (1987) Food and evolution: toward a theory of human food habits. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. ISBN 0877224358.