I have a strange game going. I am wondering if this has happened to anybody else. Because my last couple of games ran out of food early, I decided to play this one differently. I started yesterday, played on slow, and paused anytime I was away for a couple of minutes. I played hard today, hunting mushrooms and collectibles like crazy. I collected only a little bit of honey, then all adults went to research. I bought level one nature, then restoration, and a little while ago level 2 nature. The odd part is this: all day, no food was eaten and nobody aged. The mom did not release her baby. The scientists earned 60K+ points, and became Masters. They repaired the first hut, planted the tree and it grew and bore mangoes. But nobody ate all day. I had 450 honey, a tree with 1000 in mangoes, and 1500 in the food bin. Everybody stayed healthy all day.
So about an hour ago I changed to fast speed and they began to eat the food, the mom let go of the baby and they began to age, so I guess we are back on track?
I did do that drop a kid-pause-drop another kid thing until I realized that nobody was eating any food.
It was kinda hard work, but really no tougher than running out of food and not being able to play at all.
So how did this happen?

Huh? When I switched my game to slow then fast, I noticed the same thing. The food levels seemed to remain the same and the nursing mothers nursed all day. In my case, it was a glitch that the game didn't realize I had switched back to fast mode. Finally I closed the game out at the end of the day and it was back to fast mode. In my case, I think they ate a little bit of food but not sure.

Quite a few players have had similar issues. Here's a link that may help you explain why: Forever pg?? (Started by 4boys=psychoMOM). Reading all the posting should put you on the right track!

Okay, so holding the baby, aging and food consumption are on a timer, every three minutes, and if the game happens to be on pause at that exact second the timer is up, consumption etc are not ticked forward? Then earning tech points, gaining skills, tree growing and the fire are not on the same timer, perhaps a much shorter interval? I didn't track those to see if they were slower than usual, they seemed to be going along as expected.
Hmmm
Hmmm
How to use this?
Hmmm
Well I have long wanted to play a game where I increase the population first then start solving the puzzles so maybe I can do that with this game.
My runner became an Esteemed Elder at the age of 29 because he didn't age yesterday. If I had not gone to bed leaving the game on slow, he would have been Elder at age 26 or so. And for anyone interested, this is going to be a blond tribe. 5 of the original villagers were blond, including all the females.

From what I've observed, they pretty well follow your village time settings.

Quoting Arnie; I think the normal time counts in six minute segments (2 X 3 minutes). Slow time would be double that: 12 minutes. Fast time in three minute segments.
Before increasing you village population take a look at; LadyCFII Sticky note: Good luck with your blond tribe!