Hunting-gathering was the common human mode of subsistence throughout the Paleolithic, but the observation of current-day hunters and gatherers does not necessarily reflect Paleolithic societies; the hunter-gatherer cultures examined today have had much contact with modern civilization and do not represent "pristine" conditions found in uncontacted peoples.
Is there an answer to this question (If it cannot be answered, say "unanswerable"): Observation of ancient hunters and gatherers does not necessarily reflect what?
unanswerable