In this essay, you will examine three different behaviors (butchering, cooking, and dairy processing) and
discuss their impact on early human biology (longevity, health, and reproduction). Tying all of these things
together, remember how natural selection works, and how the forces of evolution create changes in biological
species - including us.
- Discuss the impacts and selective advantages processing foodstuffs can confer. Why may the processing of
foodstuffs have been a critical innovation for our ancestors? Think about the long-term consequences of
butchering, cooking, and lactose tolerance; why were these selectively advantageous? - What is the selective advantage does the LP allele offer? Thinking about human/environment interactions,
what are some of the reasons we see significantly higher proportions of lactase persistence in high latitude
European populations?
Sample Answer