Modern human behavior, ranging from tool use to cooking to agriculture to industrial food processing, has allowed us colonize virtually every environment on earth – and even parts of outer space. In this lecture, Leakey Foundation grantee Zeresenay Alemseged examines the evidence for the first major expansion of the hominin diet, millions of years ago, to include more grasses and animals. This adaptation was the precursor that made future expansion possible. Christina Warinner explores recent changes in human diet, from 50,000 years ago to the present, and discusses how these changes have fundamentally affected human biology, ecology, and societies. “Exploring Ancient Diets"" was presented at the California Academy of Sciences on 12/3/2013 as part of The Leakey Foundation’s Speaker Series on Human Origins in partnership with the California Academy of Sciences. Sponsored by: Wells Fargo Bank Members of The Leakey Foundation For more information and to learn about upcoming events visit: http://www.leakeyfoundation.org/events Subscribe to our channel for notifications when we post a new video! Follow The Leakey Foundation! Facebook: facebook.com/theleakeyfoundation Twitter: twitter.com/theleakeyfndtn Instagram: instagram.com/theleakeyfoundation