Title |
Diet and environment 1.2 million years ago revealed through analysis of dental calculus from Europe’s oldest hominin at Sima del Elefante, Spain
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Published in |
The Science of Nature, December 2016
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DOI | 10.1007/s00114-016-1420-x |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Karen Hardy, Anita Radini, Stephen Buckley, Ruth Blasco, Les Copeland, Francesc Burjachs, Josep Girbal, Riker Yll, Eudald Carbonell, Jose María Bermúdez de Castro |
Abstract |
Sima del Elefante, Atapuerca, Spain contains one of the earliest hominin fragments yet known in Europe, dating to 1.2 Ma. Dental calculus from a hominin molar was removed, degraded and analysed to recover entrapped remains. Evidence for plant use at this time is very limited and this study has revealed the earliest direct evidence for foods consumed in the genus Homo. This comprises starchy carbohydrates from two plants, including a species of grass from the Triticeae or Bromideae tribe, meat and plant fibres. All food was eaten raw, and there is no evidence for processing of the starch granules which are intact and undamaged. Additional biographical detail includes fragments of non-edible wood found adjacent to an interproximal groove suggesting oral hygiene activities, while plant fibres may be linked to raw material processing. Environmental evidence comprises spores, insect fragments and conifer pollen grains which are consistent with a forested environment. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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United Kingdom | 8 | 12% |
Spain | 7 | 11% |
Argentina | 5 | 8% |
Mexico | 5 | 8% |
Chile | 2 | 3% |
France | 2 | 3% |
United States | 2 | 3% |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | 2% |
Canada | 1 | 2% |
Other | 5 | 8% |
Unknown | 27 | 42% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 54 | 83% |
Scientists | 6 | 9% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 4 | 6% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 1 | 2% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Germany | 1 | <1% |
Canada | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 126 | 98% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Researcher | 23 | 18% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 21 | 16% |
Student > Master | 14 | 11% |
Student > Bachelor | 13 | 10% |
Professor | 9 | 7% |
Other | 18 | 14% |
Unknown | 30 | 23% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Arts and Humanities | 37 | 29% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 16 | 13% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 9 | 7% |
Environmental Science | 8 | 6% |
Social Sciences | 6 | 5% |
Other | 14 | 11% |
Unknown | 38 | 30% |