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How Did Ancient Societies Adapt to Dairy Consumption

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Figure 1. Distribution ratio of lactose persistence in adulthood in the Old World (https://41.media.tumblr.com/9e9105d67594c7dda249116cd130fa9a/tumblr_n67lmjJcfn1rasnq9o1_500.png).
==Coevolution of Dairy==
The story of how dairy developed as a product of consumption is, however, more complex. Once agriculture was invented, it did begin to spread to Europe, initially in southeast Europe before spreading to northern and western Europe.<ref>For tracing the spread of agriculture, see: Pinhasi, Ron, Joaquim Fort, and Albert J Ammerman. 2005. “Tracing the Origin and Spread of Agriculture in Europe.” Edited by Chris Tyler-Smith. ''PLoS Biology'' 3 (12): e410. dos:10.1371/journal.pbio.0030410.</ref> Looking at a modern map of populations that are lactose persistent (Figure 1), we see pockets where particular populations have a much greater portion of the population able to consume dairy. This indicates that the spread of dairy consumption was not even and that different populations have adapted differently to dairy consumption. In Europe, we see eastern Europe, around Poland and the Czech Republic, there is a greater percentage of people who are lactose persistent. A closer look at the haplotypes, or genetic groups, that include the genes for dairy consumption indicate that not all human populations that have evolved to consume dairy show the same genes involved in the consumption of lactase.<ref>For further on the genetic makeup of Europeans in relation to the consumption of diary, see: Leonardi, Michela, Pascale Gerbault, Mark G. Thomas, and Joachim Burger. 2012. “The Evolution of Lactase Persistence in Europe. A Synthesis of Archaeological and Genetic Evidence.” International Dairy Journal 22 (2): 88–97. doi:10.1016/j.idairyj.2011.10.010.</ref>
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[[Category:Food History]][[Category:Archeology]][[Category:History of Ancient World]]
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