For the first time, zinc isotope ratios in tooth enamel have been analyzed with the aim of identifying the diet of a Neanderthal. The Neanderthal to whom the tooth belonged was probably a carnivore. Other chemical tracers indicate that this individual did not consume the blood of their prey, b
A first molar from a Neanderthal, which was analyzed for this study. Credit: © Lourdes Montes
For the first time, a new study has used zinc isotope analysis to determine the position of Neanderthals in the food chain. The findings suggest that they were in fact carnivores. Until now, to determine an individual’s position in the food chain, scientists have generally had to extract proteins and analyze the nitrogen isotopes present in the bone collagen. However, this technique can usually only be used in temperate environments, and only rarely does it work on samples over 50,000 years old. When these conditions are not met, nitrogen isotope analysis is very complex, or even impossible. This was the case for the molar from the Gabasa site analyzed in this study.
According to the results, the Neanderthal to whom this tooth from the Gabasa site belonged was most likely a carnivore who did not consume the blood of their prey.