Seafood may explain why modern humans “out-competed” Neanderthals
Our taste for seafood could help to explain why we fared better than our prehistoric ancestors. Analysis of the bones of Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens show that while the former feasted mainly on big game like bison, reindeer and mammoths, the latter had a more sophisticated palate, consuming smaller mammals, fish and aquatic birds. According to the scientists, this variation in menu could be why modern humans “out-competed” Neanderthals. Their findings are derived from the bones of 13 Neanderthals and 13 modern humans recovered in Europe. The collagen in the bones hold a record of everything consumed for the past 20 years. But the case, however, is hardly closed: the remains studied were few, and all came from northern Europe. In more southern regions, where collagen isn’t preserved as well, there is evidence to suggest the diet of Neanderthals involved fish.