Why Neanderthals might have eaten maggots
Neanderthals, hypercarnivores, and maggots: Insights from stable nitrogen isotopes
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Neanderthals had super high nitrogen levels in their bones, which scientists thought meant they ate a lot of meat. But this study shows that maggots eating rotting meat have even higher nitrogen levels—and people in cold regions have eaten these maggots for thousands of years.
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Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Neanderthals had super high nitrogen levels in their bones, which scientists thought meant they ate a lot of meat. But this study shows that maggots eating rotting meat have even higher nitrogen levels—and people in cold regions have eaten these maggots for thousands of years.
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 553 / 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.
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Claims (10)
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.
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.
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.