'Nutcracker Man' built for foraging An early human who lived
between two and three million years ago had teeth and jaws that
functioned like a nutcracker, allowing them to bite through
nutshells with ease, according to a new study. The finding may
put Australopithecus africanus in a shell-chomping category with
another human ancestor, Paranthropus boisei, dubbed 'Nutcracker
Man' by scientists last year for having super-thick teeth. Dr
David Strait, lead author of a new study on the fossil, explains
that "large nuts and seeds may have been foods that were eaten
during times when other types of food were not available." "At
those times, nuts and seeds may have been crucial to survival
because if you couldn't eat them, then you'd either have to move
to a new habitat or die," says Strait, an associate professor of
anthropology at the University at Albany-SUNY. A. africanus has
long puzzled scientists because of its massive jaws and teeth.
Columns of bone positioned alongside the sides of its nose
apparently buttr