Introduction

INTRODUCTION 
  • Our genus Homo has been on earth for some two million years. Ofthis time span, almost 99.5 per cent is a history of subsistence on hunting ofanimals and gathering of plant food.
  • It was total dependence on nature for lifesupport. This kind of subsistence strategy necessitated living in small bandsand moving from place to place in pursuit of food, as well as exploring newareas for vegetative food resources.
  • As such, the nomadic hunting-gathering wayof life is the primal adaptation of hominids for food procurement, which setthe course for human bio-cultural evolution in a harmonious relationship withnature.
  • During the course of this primal adaptation early hominids and theirdescendants must have, by trial and error, learnt about the characteristicfeatures, specially behaviour pattern and habits, of the animals whichconstituted their food supply and their food reserve.
  • They also must havelearnt about the edible qualities and desirability of almost all availableplant resources. As a result of this knowledge base built over hundreds ofgenerations, a major shift was bound to come in the subsistence strategy.
Last modified: Thursday, 30 September 2010, 7:13 AM