New research provides the first direct evidence that Australopithecus, an important early human ancestor that displayed a mix of ape-like and human-like traits, consumed very little or no meat ...

An illustration of two of the seven molars from Australopithecus, unearthed in South Africa ...

For instance, adaptations in Australopithecus such as shorter snouts, bipedalism and the ability to thrive in a savanna ecosystem may have predated the move to a brain-boosting meat-rich diet.

Jan 16 (Reuters) - The incorporation of meat into the diet was a milestone for the human evolutionary lineage, a potential catalyst for advances such as increased brain size. But scientists have ...