# Discovery of wheat as a food

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-of-wheat-as-a-food/307001>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 5, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-of-wheat-as-a-food/307001 "2005-06-05T15:33:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discovery-of-wheat-as-a-food/307001/21 "2005-06-06T06:21:12Z")

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> [@Slithy Tove](#):
>
> IIRC, when the Rift Valley rifted, the primates in the jungle side developed into the great apes,

Our common ancestor with the chimp was undoubtably already a “great ape”, as is the orangutan. You’re using “great ape” incorrectly. And the rift valley hypothesis may or may not be correct, especially in light of recent fossil hominids found on the “wrong” side of the rift ([Sahelanthropus tchadensis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahelanthropus_tchadensis)).

> [@](#):
>
> while the primates on the grassland side developed into homo sapiens (walking erect to see over the grass,

Another old hypothesis that is no longer in favor with most paleoanthropologists.

> [@](#):
>
> developing lower body strength for walking at the expense of upper body strength not needed for tree climbing, etc.), and, with less edible vegitation, developing a taste for the animals of the grasslands: first as carrion; then as organized hunting groups (possibly learned from our new companion, the dog);

Hunting goes back much further than dog domestication.

> [@](#):
>
> then as \*transhumance nomads, following the herds as they sought fresh grass; then as nomadic herders, where we put ourselves in control of migration, instead of as just followers.
> 
> Somehere in there, somebody must have decided to eat what the animals were eating, and eventually took some of the tastier seeds of wild \*eincorn and planted them in pastures to which they knew they’d eventually return. Ultimately, some of these prepared pastures were so fruitful that people (probably the women) said “let’s just stay here and keep planting.”

Pure speculation.

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