Title |
To meat or not to meat? New perspectives on Neanderthal ecology
|
---|---|
Published in |
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, November 2014
|
DOI | 10.1002/ajpa.22659 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Luca Fiorenza, Stefano Benazzi, Amanda G. Henry, Domingo C. Salazar-García, Ruth Blasco, Andrea Picin, Stephen Wroe, Ottmar Kullmer |
Abstract |
Neanderthals have been commonly depicted as top predators who met their nutritional needs by focusing entirely on meat. This information mostly derives from faunal assemblage analyses and stable isotope studies: methods that tend to underestimate plant consumption and overestimate the intake of animal proteins. Several studies in fact demonstrate that there is a physiological limit to the amount of animal proteins that can be consumed: exceeding these values causes protein toxicity that can be particularly dangerous to pregnant women and newborns. Consequently, to avoid food poisoning from meat-based diets, Neanderthals must have incorporated alternative food sources in their daily diets, including plant materials as well. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 156:43-71, 2015. © 2014 American Association of Physical Anthropologists. |
Twitter Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 4 | 17% |
France | 3 | 13% |
Mexico | 2 | 8% |
United Kingdom | 2 | 8% |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | 4% |
Sweden | 1 | 4% |
Greece | 1 | 4% |
Chile | 1 | 4% |
Portugal | 1 | 4% |
Other | 0 | 0% |
Unknown | 8 | 33% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 21 | 88% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 2 | 8% |
Scientists | 1 | 4% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 2 | <1% |
Germany | 1 | <1% |
Ireland | 1 | <1% |
Italy | 1 | <1% |
Portugal | 1 | <1% |
Belgium | 1 | <1% |
Spain | 1 | <1% |
Japan | 1 | <1% |
Croatia | 1 | <1% |
Other | 0 | 0% |
Unknown | 255 | 96% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 59 | 22% |
Researcher | 41 | 15% |
Student > Master | 33 | 12% |
Student > Bachelor | 27 | 10% |
Professor | 17 | 6% |
Other | 44 | 17% |
Unknown | 44 | 17% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Arts and Humanities | 61 | 23% |
Social Sciences | 40 | 15% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 35 | 13% |
Earth and Planetary Sciences | 25 | 9% |
Environmental Science | 11 | 4% |
Other | 33 | 12% |
Unknown | 60 | 23% |