Why Fat Meant Survival in the Cold
In Jean Auel’s The Valley of Horses, Ayla faces a problem that at first seems strange. She can catch small animals such as rabbits, so she has meat. Yet she remains desperate to kill a larger animal because she needs fat. Why would that matter so much? If a person has plenty of meat, shouldn’t that be enough? The answer is no. In a cold environment, especially during a long winter, obtaining enough food and obtaining the right kinds of food are two different problems. ...