sciencetech-blog

comments

You might think of Neanderthals as lumbering cavemen who feasted on slaughtered beasts, but new research suggests they preferred far more refined cuisine.

A study of ancient fossilised poo left behind by our distant cousins reveals they had a diet which featured vegetables and nuts.

The 50,000-year-old samples from Spain are the oldest known Neanderthal faecal matter and  suggest cavemen knew the importance of a varied diet.

A study of ancient fossilised poo left behind by Neanderthals reveals they had a varied diet which featured vegetables and nuts, as well as meat

Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of La Laguna in Spain used analytical techniques to find faecal biomarkers from five samples found in El Salt, southern Spain.

The scientists analysed each sample for metabolised versions of animal-derived cholesterol, as well as phytosterol, a cholesterol-like compound found in plants.

While all samples contained signs of meat consumption, two samples showed traces of plants - the first direct evidence that Neanderthals may have enjoyed omnivorous meals.

'We have passed through different phases in our interpretation of Neanderthals,' says Ainara Sistiaga, a graduate student at the University of La Laguna who led the analysis.

While all poo samples contained signs of meat consumption, two samples showed traces of plants - the first direct evidence that Neanderthals may have enjoyed an omnivorous diet

Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of La Laguna in Spain used analytical techniques to find faecal biomarkers from five samples found in El Salt, southern Spain

'It's important to understand all aspects of why humanity has come to dominate the planet the way it does,' adds co-author Roger Summons, a professor of geobiology. 'A lot of that has to do with improved nutrition over time.'

Researchers recently identified plant microfossils trapped in Neanderthal teeth (pictured)

While scientists have attempted to reconstruct the Neanderthal diet before, much of the evidence has been inconclusive.

For example, researchers have analysed bone fragments for carbon and nitrogen isotopes - signs that Neanderthals may have consumed certain prey, such as pigs versus cows.

But these studies could only differentiate between protein sources - underestimating plant intake, and depicting the Neanderthal as exclusively carnivorous.

Other researchers recently found plant microfossils trapped in Neanderthal teeth - a finding that suggests the species may have led a more complex lifestyle, harvesting and cooking a variety of plants in addition to hunting prey.

However, Ms Sistiaga says it is also possible that Neanderthals didn't eat plants directly, but consumed them through the stomach contents of their prey, leaving traces of plants in their teeth.

Equally likely, she says, is another scenario: 'Sometimes in prehistoric societies, they used their teeth as tools, biting plants, among other things.

'We can't assume they were actually eating the plants based on finding microfossils in their teeth.'

The researchers believe that while Neanderthals had a mostly meat-based diet, they may have also consumed a fairly regular portion of plants, such as tubers, berries, and nuts.

'We believe Neanderthals probably ate what was available in different situations, seasons, and climates,' Ms Sistiaga added.

SKULLS REVEAL HOW NEANDERTHALS USED TEETH AS A 'THIRD HAND'

Skulls reveal how cavemen used teeth as a third hand

The biggest collection of ancient human fossils ever recovered from one site is causing scientists to reconsider the path of human evolution.

They reveal how Neanderthals, our sister species, developed their distinctive teeth before their brains, using them as a third hand for holding objects.

Last week, a new study added to theories that the Neanderthals evolved their characteristic looks slowly, and intermittently, over hundreds of thousands of years.

The ancient skulls, dating back 400,000 years, show Neanderthal-like features in the face and teeth, while other parts of the skulls, including the brain case, resembled those of more primitive human ancestors.

This suggests the earliest Neanderthals used their jaws in a particular way for chewing as well as for holding objects.

The discovery at the Sima de los Huesos site in Spain's Atapuerca Mountains has allowed scientists to better understand pre-human evolution during the Middle Pleistocene period - a time in which the path of hominin evolution has been controversial and fiercely debated.

Juan-Luis Arsuaga, a paleontologist at the Complutense University of Madrid, claims the findings were consistent with a 'Game of Thrones' evolutionary saga.

In this scenario communities of humans, equivalent to 'houses' in the sci-fi series, would compete for habitable areas more than 400,000 years ago.