Newswise — A team of researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the University of York have found the first direct evidence that Neanderthals ate plants. The study, published in the journal Nature, analyzed dental calculus from Neanderthal teeth found in the El Sidrón cave in Spain. The calculus, which is a buildup of minerals and bacteria that forms on teeth over time, contained starch grains from wild grasses and legumes, as well as pollen from plants such as daisies and dandelions.
"This is the first time that we have been able to directly identify the plants that Neanderthals were eating," said Dr. Karen Hardy, a co-author of the study from the University of York. "This changes our understanding of their diet and shows that they were more adaptable than we thought."
Previous research had suggested that Neanderthals were primarily meat-eaters, but this new study shows that they also consumed a significant amount of plants. This is important because it suggests that Neanderthals may have been more flexible in their diet than previously thought, and that they were able to adapt to different environments.
"This study provides important new insights into the diet and behavior of Neanderthals," said Professor Martin Søndergaard, a co-author of the study from the University of Copenhagen. "It shows that they were more sophisticated and adaptable than we thought, and it helps us to better understand their place in human evolution."
The study also has implications for understanding the relationship between Neanderthals and modern humans. Neanderthals and modern humans coexisted in Europe for thousands of years, and it is thought that they may have competed for resources. The new study suggests that Neanderthals may have been able to survive in some environments by adapting their diet to include more plants, which would have given them an advantage over modern humans who were more reliant on meat.
"Our findings have implications for understanding the interactions between Neanderthals and modern humans," said Dr. Hardy. "It is possible that the ability of Neanderthals to adapt their diet to include plants may have given them a competitive advantage in some environments, and this may have contributed to their survival for thousands of years."
