The nutrients of red ocher and shells contributed to … – RTVE

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Both red ocher pigment as seashells , used by humans for 250,000 years with ornamental and artistic purposes , had a direct bearing on human evolution. This follows an article Researcher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Carlos Duarte.

The scientist says that the accidental ingestion of ocher pigments and a diet that included shellfish and other seafood have made the nutrients essential for early brain development and have improved biological adaptation, as recorded by the CSIC in a note.

Nutrients provided

The seafood is rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA for short), an essential polyunsaturated fatty acid of the omega-3 series, with a important role in the developing nervous system, brain and vision .

Meanwhile, red ocher pigments could supply iron , essential for health reproductive and brain development , according to the article published in the journal Trends in Ecologoy & amp; Evolution .

“On one hand, the seafood allowed some 200,000 years ago humans did against adverse climatic period and, second, supposed to have a reliable power supply in time coincided with the dispersal of our species along the coast, “said Duarte.

The materials represented a extra iron

CSIC researcher suggests that the use of red ocher powder mixed with seafood or other foods, would have had a similar impact on brain and reproductive health and therefore also in human evolution.

“The handling of these materials would have been a extra iron , essential for brain nutrient-stressed situations, such as in the case of pregnant women with a seafood-based diet” , explained the researcher.

Combined use of materials

As pointed out by Duarte, the powder mixed with animal oil and fat to give it grip and was applied by hand.

Artists, fingers covered by the pigment, iron accidentally fed and evolutionarily selecting individuals with inclinations to symbolic thought and artistic expression.

“Going a step further, I imagine that these artists were women in gestation , which possessed time to pulverize and mix these components and decorate their bodies and caves” indicated.

Red ocher and shells landed in the evolution of the species

According to the scientist of the CSIC, the fact that the combined use of red ocher and shells has remained in many cultures around the world means that these two sources of essential nutrients had a positive impact on the evolution of the species.

For this researcher, ” the use of red ocher and shells is not restricted to indigenous cultures, but Western women are using red ocher and shells, for the pigment is the basis of this current color cosmetics and often carry produced ornaments with shells. “

” A diet rich in marine products and adequate iron diet still play a key role in mental and reproductive health of our species, which has to care particularly during pregnancy. This role is as important or even more than that played 200,000 years ago because we’re in a time when deterioration of our diet is leading to the proliferation of mental and reproductive health also in Western society, “he adds.