For the very first time, zinc isotope ratios in tooth enamel have actually been evaluated with the aim of determining the diet plan of a Neanderthal.
The Neanderthal to whom the tooth belonged was probably a carnivore.
Other chemical tracers show that this person did not consume the blood of their victim, but ate the bone marrow without consuming the bones.
In France, the work included researchers from the Geosciences Environment Toulouse Laboratory (CNRS/CNES/IRD/ UT3 Paul Sabatier), and the Geology Laboratory of Lyon: Earth, Planets, Environment (CNRS/UCBL1), together with teams from the University of Zaragoza, limit Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, the MaxPlanck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, and the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz.
Were Neanderthals carnivores? Some investigations of the dental tartar of people from the Iberian Peninsula appear to suggest that Neanderthals were significant customers of plants, other research studies brought out at sites outside Iberia appear to suggest that they consumed almost nothing however meat. This is the very first time this method has actually been utilized to try to recognize a Neanderthals diet plan. Broken bones discovered at the site, together with isotopic information, suggest that this person likewise ate the bone marrow of their prey, without taking in the bones. Analyses also expose that this Neanderthal probably died in the exact same place they had lived in as a child.
Recommendation: “A Neandertal dietary dilemma: Insights provided by tooth enamel Zn isotopes from Gabasa, Spain” by Klervia Jaouen, Vanessa Villalba-Mouco, Geoff M. Smith, Manuel Trost, Jennifer Leichliter, Tina Lüdecke, Pauline Méjean, Stéphanie Mandrou, Jérôme Chmeleff, Danaé Guiserix, Nicolas Bourgon, Fernanda Blasco, Jéssica Mendes Cardoso, Camille Duquenoy, Zineb Moubtahij, Domingo C. Salazar Garcia, Michael Richards, Thomas Tütken, Jean-Jacques Hublin, Pilar Utrilla and Lourdes Montes, 18 October 2022, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.DOI: 10.1073/ pnas.2109315119.
A first molar from a Neanderthal, which was analyzed for this research study. Credit: © Lourdes Montes
Excavation work at the Gabasa website, Spain Credit: © Lourdes Montes
Until now, to identify an individuals position in the food chain, scientists have actually typically had to extract proteins and analyze the nitrogen isotopes present in the bone collagen. This was the case for the molar from the Gabasa website examined in this study.
This is the very first time this technique has actually been used to attempt to determine a Neanderthals diet plan. The lower the percentages of zinc isotopes in the bones, the more likely they are to belong to a predator.
According to the results, the Neanderthal to whom this tooth from the Gabasa website belonged was most likely a carnivore who did not consume the blood of their victim.
Broken bones discovered at the site, together with isotopic data, suggest that this individual likewise ate the bone marrow of their victim, without consuming the bones. In addition, other chemical tracers show that they were weaned before the age of two. Analyses likewise reveal that this Neanderthal most likely died in the same location they had actually lived in as a child.
Compared to previous techniques, this new zinc isotope analysis method makes it much easier to compare omnivores and carnivores. The researchers wish to repeat the experiment on people from other sites to validate their conclusions. They would especially like to test a specimen from the Payre website in south-east France, where brand-new research is underway.
Notes
For the very first time, a brand-new research study has actually utilized zinc isotope analysis to figure out the position of Neanderthals in the food cycle. The findings suggest that they were in fact predators.
Were Neanderthals carnivores? According to scientists, the argument is still ongoing. Some investigations of the dental tartar of people from the Iberian Peninsula seem to suggest that Neanderthals were significant customers of plants, other research studies carried out at sites outside Iberia appear to suggest that they consumed practically nothing however meat.
Led by a CNRS scientist, the research study was released on October 17th in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
