What did Neanderthals eat and how did they stay healthy?
Neanderthal behaviour, diet, and disease inferred from ancient DNA in dental calculus
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists looked at plaque on Neanderthal teeth to find out what they ate and what germs lived in their mouths.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 539 / 44
Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists looked at plaque on Neanderthal teeth to find out what they ate and what germs lived in their mouths.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 539 / 44
Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Publication
Authors
Weyrich LS, Duchene S, Soubrier J, Arriola L, Llamas B, Breen J, Morris AG, Alt KW, Caramelli D, Dresely V, Farrell M, Farrer AG, Francken M, Gully N, Haak W, Hardy K, Harvati K, Held P, Holmes EC, Kaidonis J, Lalueza-Fox C, de la Rasilla M, Rosas A, Semal P, Soltysiak A, Townsend G, Usai D, Wahl J, Huson DH, Dobney K, Cooper A
Related Content
Claims (6)
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 shows that Neanderthals from Spain and Belgium had different types of oral bacteria, and these differences were linked to how much meat they ate.
Neanderthals had different types of bacteria in their mouths compared to modern humans and chimpanzees, with varying amounts of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, which reflects differences in their diets and daily habits over time.
DNA from yarrow and chamomile plants was found in the dental calculus of a Neanderthal who had a tooth infection and gut infection, indicating these plants were present in their mouth, possibly due to consumption or use.
Analysis of ancient plaque from Neanderthal teeth in Belgium revealed DNA from large herbivores like woolly rhinoceros, suggesting a meat-heavy diet, while plaque from Spain showed DNA from plants like mushrooms and pine nuts, suggesting a plant-based diet.