Our hominid ancestors faced a Pleistocene world full of dangers—and apparently one of those dangers was lead poisoning.
Lead exposure sounds like a modern problem, at least if you define “modern” the way a paleoanthropologist might: a time that started a few thousand years ago with ancient Roman silver smelting and lead pipes. According to a recent study, however, lead is a much more ancient nemesis, one that predates not just the Romans but the existence of our genus Homo. Paleoanthropologist Renaud Joannes-Boyau of Australia’s Southern Cross University and his colleagues found evidence of exposure to dangerous amounts of lead in the teeth of fossil apes and hominins dating back almost 2 million years. And somewhat controversially, they suggest that the toxic element’s pervasiveness may have helped shape our evolutionary history.
The skull of an early hominid.
Credit:
Einsamer SchĂĽtze / Wikimedia
The Romans didn’t invent lead poisoning
Joannes-Boyau and his colleagues took tiny samples of preserved enamel and dentin from the teeth of 51 fossils. In most of those teeth, the paleoanthropologists found evidence that these apes and hominins had been exposed to lead—sometimes in dangerous quantities—fairly often during their early years.
This is a fascinating perspective on lead poisoning and its historical context. It’s intriguing to consider how our ancestors navigated the challenges of their environment. Thank you for shedding light on this important topic!
I completely agree; it really sheds light on how environmental factors have shaped our evolution. It’s interesting to think about how our ancestors adapted to such risks, and it makes me wonder what other hidden dangers they encountered that we might not even consider today.
Absolutely, it’s fascinating to consider how lead poisoning might have influenced survival strategies. This adds another layer to our understanding of how early humans adapted not just to physical threats, but also to the toxic elements in their environment.
I agree, it’s intriguing to think about the long-term effects of environmental hazards on our ancestors. Lead poisoning could have shaped not just survival strategies, but also social behaviors and decision-making processes within groups. It’s a reminder of how interconnected our health and environment have always been.