Recent research has revealed that Neanderthals, long considered apex predators alongside lions, had a surprisingly varied diet that included maggots. This insight comes from a study led by Melanie Beasley at Purdue University, which examined chemical clues found in Neanderthal bones to better understand their feeding habits.
Traditionally, studies have focused on the large prey Neanderthals consumed, such as mammoths and bison. However, this new research highlights that they also actively consumed fly larvae, a rich and easily accessible food source. The findings challenge previous assumptions about the dietary preferences of these ancient humans.
Understanding Nitrogen Isotopes
The research team utilized stable nitrogen isotopes, specifically Nitrogen-14 and Nitrogen-15, to trace dietary patterns. These isotopes serve as dietary fingerprints: plants contain low levels of Nitrogen-15, herbivores accumulate some from plants, while carnivores, including apex predators, exhibit the highest levels. Analysis of nitrogen isotopes from Neanderthal bones discovered elevated Nitrogen-15 values, comparable to those found in wolves and hyenas, suggesting a protein-rich diet.
This finding raised questions for researchers, as both Neanderthals and modern humans cannot tolerate extremely high protein levels without health consequences, a condition sometimes referred to as “rabbit starvation.” The team sought to identify additional dietary factors that could explain the elevated nitrogen levels.
Maggots as a Dietary Source
The researchers noted that prehistoric Homo sapiens exhibited similar nitrogen signatures to Neanderthals. Drawing parallels to some Indigenous Arctic tribes that consume maggots from decomposing meat, the team hypothesized that maggots might significantly contribute to the nitrogen-15 levels observed in Neanderthal bones.
In a surprising twist, Beasley found that maggots feeding on decomposing meat have Nitrogen-15 levels almost four times higher than that of a lion. To confirm this theory, the team analyzed fly larvae consuming decomposing human muscle tissue, discovering that as flesh decays, lighter nitrogen atoms escape as gases, leaving behind heavier isotopes. This process enriches the maggots with Nitrogen-15.
Additionally, larvae collected during winter displayed even higher nitrogen values, possibly due to slower decomposition rates in colder temperatures. Therefore, it is plausible that Neanderthals incorporated maggots into their diets alongside decaying meat, accounting for the elevated nitrogen levels without depending solely on a hypercarnivore diet.
In their conclusions, the research team stated, “In the particular case considered here of Eurasian Late Pleistocene hominins, we suspect that the high [Nitrogen-15] values reflect routine consumption of stored decomposing fatty animal substrates laced with highly-enriched maggots.”
This study, published in Science Advances, not only reshapes our understanding of Neanderthal diets but also offers intriguing insights into the adaptability of early humans in utilizing diverse food sources.
