After all, Neanderthals ate shellfish long before us (and we know how)

With techniques very similar to those we use, Neanderthals (at least in Spain) already harvested seafood seasonally, 115 thousand years ago. Here’s the diverse diet of another now-extinct group of humans.

For decades, many paleoarchaeologists argued that Neanderthals disappeared, in part, because they were unable to compete with their relatives. A wise man. But new discoveries are contradicting this idea.

A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences now adds yet another argument in favor of a more complex view: Neanderthals living off the coast of present-day Cartagenain Spain, knew when and how to gather seafood safely, long before modern humans did it in a very similar way.

The research focuses on Los Planes grottowhere remains of mollusks dating back around 115 thousand years were found, such as gastropods and limpets. The marks and the archaeological context indicate that these animals were collected for food consumption.

The discovery contradicts previous theories that Neanderthals had difficulty adapting to coastal environments or exploiting marine resources.

But more than simply eating seafood, these groups seem to have done it strategically. According to researchers, cited by , Neanderthals in the region consumed marine resources throughout the year, but with a clear preference for colder months.

Asier García-Escárzagaarchaeologist at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and co-author of the study, highlights that this pattern is close to practices observed in more recent human populations in Europe.

The choice of the season was not accidental. In many mollusks, the winter reproductive cycle is associated with greater quantity of meat and better flavor and texture. On the contrary, the summer months can bring more risks, including the presence of toxic algae and faster food spoilage.

To determine the time of collection, scientists analyzed the shells’ carbonate and oxygen isotope levels. These values ​​vary according to the temperature of the sea water, functioning as a kind of “prehistoric thermometer”.

The results suggest that coastal Neanderthals had a diverse dietwhich included high-quality marine proteins rich in omega-3s and zinc — nutrients associated with reproductive health and brain development. For the authors, what is observed in Los Aviones is a fully modern subsistence strategy.