The Study
Diet and environment 1.2 million years ago revealed through analysis of dental calculus from Europe’s oldest hominin at Sima del Elefante, Spain
This study looked at tiny bits of food stuck in the tooth of one very old human ancestor. It tells us what that one person might have eaten, but it doesn't tell us what all early humans ate or if those foods were good or bad.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
Scientists found tiny bits of food stuck in a 1.2-million-year-old hominin's tooth plaque.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 520 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This shows early humans ate raw plants and meat, didn't cook food, and may have used sticks to clean their teeth.
- 2The tooth plaque had bits of raw grass starch, meat, wood fragments, pollen, and bugs.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The Science of Nature
Year
2016
Authors
K. Hardy, A. Radini, S. Buckley, R. Blasco, L. Copeland, F. Burjachs, Josep Girbal, R. Yll, E. Carbonell, J. M. Bermúdez de Castro
Related Content
Claims (7)
Throughout most of human evolutionary history, the diet of early human ancestors consisted mainly of animal-based foods, with meat being the main source of nutrition.
Between 1.2 million and a few hundred thousand years ago, early human ancestors like Homo and Neanderthals relied mainly on meat and other animal foods for nutrition, while earlier ancestors like Australopithecus ate mostly plants.
Analysis of ancient dental plaque from a hominin fossil revealed traces of conifer pollen, insect parts, and spores, which suggest the individual lived in or near a forested environment.
Scientists found pieces of non-food wood in the dental calculus of a 1.2-million-year-old hominin fossil, positioned near a groove between teeth, which may indicate the use of tools for cleaning teeth or processing materials.
Analysis of ancient dental plaque from a hominin fossil dated to 1.2 million years ago revealed undamaged starch granules from wild grasses, suggesting these plants were eaten raw and not cooked or ground.
Plant fibers found in ancient hominin dental calculus might have come from processing materials like plants for tools or other non-food uses, rather than from eating them.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.