A History of Agriculture in India v1.c11.s2.2

v1.c11.s2.2

The development of man was also determined by climatic and marked environmental changes. Tropical forests were replaced by steppes (grassland), and this seems to have been the point at which man began to adopt an erect posture. The ancestors of man, the herbivorous great apes, had to change their feeding habits to include meat because vegetation had become sparse. Besides, meat provides more concentrated protein diet. Hunting speeded up the development of the upright posture of the body, stimulated the growth of the brain, and strengthened all other functions. The ancestor of man developed into an omnivorous creature. Man’s ancestors were neither fast enough nor strong enough to overpower hunting animals easily or to catch up with them. They had to be cunning and use stones and clubs to kill animals. The hand became an important instrument, and the activities of the brain were stimulated.