Neanderthals, hypercarnivores, and maggots: Insights from stable nitrogen isotopes

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.

Fly larvae that feed on decomposing human muscle tissue have unusually high levels of a specific nitrogen isotope compared to herbivores and carnivores. If early humans ate these larvae, their own isotopic signature could show a similar elevation.

Neanderthal isotopic data may reflect a diet that included stored animal carcasses infested with maggots, because these maggots provided both high-protein and high-fat nutrients, helping hominins avoid the harmful effects of consuming too much lean protein.

Historical records show that Indigenous peoples in the Arctic and subarctic regularly ate fly larvae found in decaying animal matter because they valued them as a nutritious food, not because they had no other options.

Fly larvae that feed on decaying human muscle tissue have unusually high levels of a nitrogen isotope called δ¹⁵N. If humans consume these larvae, their own δ¹⁵N levels may rise significantly, even without eating large amounts of meat.