The most important, most defining evolved biological feature of humans is intelligence. I think this is un-debatable, because no other animal species could participate in this debate, Q.E.D.

Intelligence means the ability to adapt behavior to changing circumstances and challenges, instead of running the same hardcoded biological program regardless of the circumstances.

Intelligence means other evolutionary behavioral traits are not very important - we are able to ignore them.

Let's look at diet as an example.

We are biologically omnivores, but we can be almost-exlusively carnivores (Inuit people) or vegetarians or vegans. Simply because we are smart enough to form a diet that matches our enviroment (or our social, ethical, religious etc. stuff).

While a low-carb, meat and vegs diet is indeed healthy, it is wrong to call it paleo - actual scientists are saying there is literally no such thing as a paleolithical diet, because our ancestors were basically smart enough to eat whatever made sense in the given environment:

http://hells-ditch.com/2012/08/archaeologists-officially-declare-collective-sigh-over-paleo-diet/

“You simply do not see specific, trans-regional trends in human subsistence in the archaeological record. People can live off everything from whale blubber to seeds and grasses. You want to know what the ideal human diet consists of? Everything. Humans can and will eat everything, and we are remarkably successful not in spite of this fact, but because of it. Our adaptability is the hallmark of the human species. We’re not called omnivores for nothing.”

"Look, the diet itself is sound; it’s the philosophy that’s bullshit. Eat what you want. Just leave the damn cavemen out of it.”

Again this is a GOOD diet, it is just wrong to say humans are hardcoded for one kind of diet. Humans are hardcoded for being smart and making the best use of whatever the environment offers.

Our adaptability is the hallmark of the human species.

This means humans, smart animals we are, adapt to the circumstances our:

  • gender roles
  • socio-sexual behavior, mating
  • monogamy, polygamy, child-raising
  • ideas of what is masculine
  • ideas of what is feminine
  • competition vs. cooperation

And so on.

I do understand that there is a longing to imitate cavemen in not only diet but also behavior and attitude, because we long for some kind of "essence" of the species, we long to become "natural", "in contact with our nature".

But the true nature of the intelligent species is adaptation ITSELF.

So the most possibly essentially human thing to do is to use your brain to adapt to the modern world - or to anything life throws at you.

Please don't make this debate about diet! Both the linked article and I said the paleo diet is GOOD just calling it "paleo" or "natural" is bad, because it suggests human nature is adapted to certain stuff - when in reality human nature is adapted to being good at adaptation itself.

Rather it is about a GENERAL idea of following our "caveman" nature or doing pop evo-psy.

Especially considering gender roles and suchlike, attraction etc.

Example: human adaptability suggests that when and if women, for some reason, pop out 10 babies, while living as a hunter-gatherer, they may indeed work a bit RPW way because it means 10 x 4-5 months where running away from tigers is difficult. However it also suggests that once any condition changes, only two kids and in a hospital not in the jungle, their behavior quickly changes. Adaptation. Fast adaptation. The hallmark of the species.

Same stuff about male behavior. When you must be a brutal warrior and hunter, you are, but when there is no need, you're a trader or scientist...