Neandertals ate a buffet of seafood

摘要

Surf's up, Neandertals. Our close evolutionary cousins obtained shellfish and other marine munchies along Europe's Atlantic coast with all the savvy and gusto of ancient humans in southern Africa, say archaeologist Joao Zilhao of the University of Barcelona and colleagues. Neandertals consumed a diverse menu of sea and land foods while occupying Figueira Brava cave in Portugal for extended periods between about 106,000 and 86,000 years ago, Zilhao's group says. Excavations there show for the first time that Neandertals matched Stone Age Homo sapiens in their ability to exploit seafood rich in brain-enhancing fatty acids, the scientists report in the March 27 Science. This discovery adds to controversial evidence that Neandertals engaged in various behaviors once thought to have characterized only H. sapiens, such as creating cave art and elaborate personal ornaments (SN: 4/8/15, p.7).