Were Neanderthals predators? A new study says yes.

Scientists have not yet decided whether Neanderthals we carnivores or not; while some studies claim they were great plant eaters, others say they were meat eaters. Now a new study continues on this last line: this extinct species is supposed to have been carnivorous.

The results are published in the journal PNASin an article led by the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and with the participation of the University of Zaragoza.

Researchers have used zinc isotope analysis for the first time to determine the position Neanderthals in the food chain, and his results, based on the analysis of a fossil tooth found at the Gabasa site in Huesca, suggest that they appear to carnivoressummarizes the statement from CNRS.

long discussion

Did they eat meat Neanderthals It is still the subject of debate and scientific research.

While some studies of tartar in people from the Iberian Peninsula seem to show that they consumed a lot of plants, other studies from outside of Iberia seem to suggest that they ate almost nothing but meat.

Using new methods to analyze a molar belonging to an individual of this species, the researchers now show that Neanderthals from the Gabas website, apparently carnivores.

Until now, to determine a person’s position in the food chain, scientists had to extract proteins and analyze nitrogen isotopes present in bone collagen, clarifies CNRS.

However, this method can often only be used in temperate climates and very rarely on specimens older than 50,000 years.

If these conditions are not met, the analysis of nitrogen isotopes is very difficult or even impossible; this was the case for the molar from the Gabasa deposit analyzed in this study.

Given these limitations, Clevia Jaouen, a CNRS researcher, and her team set out to analyze the proportions of zinc isotopes present in tooth enamel, a mineral that is resistant to any form of degradation.

According to the French center, this method is used for the first time to determine the diet of an animal. Neanderthal; the lower the ratio of zinc isotopes in the bones, the more likely they belong carnivorous.

The analysis was also performed on animal bones from the same period and geographic region, including carnivores such as lynxes and wolves and herbivores such as rabbits and chamois.

The results showed that Neanderthal to which this tooth from the Gabas site belonged, was probably a carnivore that did not feed on the blood of its prey.

Broken bones found at the site, along with isotope data, indicate that this man also ate his victim’s marrow without eating the bones, while other chemical indicators show that he was weaned before the age of two.

Analyzes also show that this Neanderthal probably died in the same place where he lived as a child.

Compared to previous methods, this new zinc isotope analysis method makes it easier to distinguish omnivores from animals. carnivoresunderline the researchers, who hope to repeat the experiment with specimens from other sites to confirm their findings, especially the Payre site in southeastern France, where new studies are being carried out. EFE

We recommend METADATA, RPP’s technology podcast. News, analytics, reviews, recommendations and everything you need to know about the world of technology.