Final answer:
Researchers use archaeological evidence and observations of contemporary hunter-gatherer societies to deduce whether ancient hominins were hunters or scavengers. Fossilized teeth and the preservation of stone tools suggest an omnivorous diet and the use of tools for both hunting and gathering. The study of modern gathering-hunting groups provides additional insight into early human subsistence and social organization.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine whether hominins were hunters or scavengers, researchers analyze archaeological and fossil evidence, including teeth morphology, tool remains, and insights from modern hunter-gatherer societies. The debate between the "man the hunter" hypothesis and the "woman the gatherer" hypothesis highlights the importance of examining both the hunting and gathering roles in ancient societies. Hominid diets inferred from large, worn molars suggest an omnivorous diet, pointing towards significant plant-based gathering. Moreover, the archaeological record shows more stone tools for hunting due to their preservation compared to organic gathering tools which decompose. Observations of extant gathering-hunting groups further inform us about possible social structures and subsistence methods of ancient humans.
For over two million years, gathering and hunting were humans' main subsistence strategies, implying that these activities shaped our evolutionary past significantly. Understanding the egalitarian nature of such societies and the contribution of both men and women to food acquisition and tool development sheds light on the social dynamics of early human groups. While the archaeological record offers limited direct evidence of early hominin social organization or cultural values, modern hunter-gatherer practices, and indirect evidence, such as fossilized teeth, provide clues for researchers to interpret the past.