Human consumption of carnivorous mammals in prehistory is a subject little studied within archeology. However, a recent study published in the magazine Quaternary Science Reviews has brought to light Older cases of consumption of carnivorous mammals by prehistoric humans in the Iberian Peninsula, and possibly in the world. The investigation, carried out by the student of the Master in Archeology of the Quaternary and Human Evolution of the University Rovira I Virgili (URV), Joel López Parés and Dr. Isabel Cáceres Cuello de Orocollects and analyzes all known records of carnage and human consumption of carnivorous mammals during the Paleolithic and the Epipaleolithic/Mesolithic in the region.
Among the most relevant documented findings, is the consumption of A fox and a bear between 900,000 and 800,000 years agoassociated with Homo antecessorat the TD6 level of the Great Dolina site, in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos). These are the oldest records of this type in the world, which reinforces the idea that primitive hominins already interact with the great predators of their surroundings, not only as competition, but also as a source of food.
The study highlights the importance of gathering and analyzing dispersed data on this practice, which until now had not been the subject of detailed investigation. The authors underline that these zooarcheological evidence can provide relevant information about the Evolution of the eating behavior of hominids and his role inside the ecosystem.
The reasons behind the consumption of carnivores
“Although the human consumption of carnivorous mammals existed throughout the prehistory in the Iberian Peninsula, it was not a very common practice, since Most of the usual dams were herbivorous mammals”Explains the researcher in an interview with 20minutos.es. Joel López Parés and Isabel Cáceres have proposed four main interpretations that explain why prehistoric humans hunted and consume carnivorous mammals.
- 1. Emergency resource: Carnivores could have been consumed in periods of shortage of main dams, such as deer or bovids.
- 2. Multifunctional resource: In addition to meat, humans could take advantage of skin, bones, claws and teeth of carnivores for tools and clothing.
- 3. Interspecific competence: The encounters between humans and large predators could lead to conflict situations in which carnivores were eliminated and subsequently consumed.
- 4. Ritual or symbolic use: Some carnivores could have been hunted by ritual value, a common practice in diverse prehistoric cultures.
On this last hypothesis, Joel López Parés emphasizes that, although it is difficult to demonstrate it conclusively, there is evidence that suggests that certain carnivores could have had a special meaning For humans. “The symbolic consumption of predators exists in many traditional cultures and we cannot rule out that something similar has happened in prehistory,” he says.
What species were more consumed?
The analysis shows that the canids were the only group of carnivores consumed in all periods studied. From the lower Paleolithic to the Epipaleolithic/Mesolithic, there are evidence of fox consumption (Vulpes praeglaccialis and Vulpes Vulpes) and wolves (Canis lupus). In the Middle Paleolithic, cases appear in deposits such as Axlor (Biscay) and Cova del Bolomor (Valencia), while in the upper Paleolithic and the Mesolithic foxes were hunted and consumed more frequently.
Joel López Parés suggests that the abundance of canid remains compared to other carnivores may be due to his gregarious behavior. “The wolves and foxes, living in groups, were easier to find and hunt compared to lonely cats, ”he explains.
Which does not mean that no evidence of felid consumption, such as lynx (Lynx spp.), Monteses cats (Felis Silvestris), Leopard (Panthera Pardus) and lions (Panthera Leo Spelaea). Some of the deposits with feline remains include Abric Romaní (Barcelona), Cova del Bolomor (Valencia) and Cueva de Nerja (Málaga). Most of these findings date from the Middle and Superior Paleolithic.
How did the consumption of carnivores influence?
The researchers suggest that the hunting and consumption of carnivorous mammals could have reflected changes in the subsistence strategy of prehistoric humans. During the lower pleistocene, approximately one million years ago, species such as Homo erectus and Homo antecessor They were some of the first hominins to occupy the ecological role of large predators. Its occasional consumption of other carnivores, such as foxes and bears, could be proof of your Transition to a dominant position in the trophic chain.
In the Middle Pleistocene and the beginning of the upper Pleistocene (between 500,000 and 40,000 years ago), the pre -artishales and subsequently the Neanderthals intensified the hunt of large carnivorous mammals, including lions, bears and hyenas.
However, with the arrival of Homo sapiens To the Iberian Peninsula approximately 40,000 years ago, there is a change in the hunting strategy, since Homo sapiens Small and medium species hunted more frequently, such as foxes, wolves, mountain cats and lynx, while in previous periods the hunt for large carnivores had been recorded.
This change could be due to greater diversification in the diet of Homo sapienswhich allowed him to adapt to different environments with greater flexibility. In parallel, at the end of the upper pleistocene, many large carnivorous mammals in the region, such as lions and hyenas, became extinct, leaving the brown bears as the only survivors of that group in the Iberian Peninsula.
Technology and hunting strategies
Among the types of evidence of human consumption of carnivores in the bone remains have been analyzed Cutting marks Made with lithic tools, human teeth brands, bone fractures in fresh state, burned bones and bone detachment induced by the hand.
The tools used varied according to the time. In the lower Paleolithic, the Homo antecessor They used Olduvayensessmall sharp stone knives. With the Neanderthals, the first wooden spears and bifaces for the big game appear. In the upper Paleolithic, the Homo sapiens Enter arches, arrows and harpoonswhich facilitates the hunting of more agile dams.
“The relationship between prehistoric humans, technology and fauna is key to understanding how hunting evolved. It is not the same to face a rabbit as a bisonand the tools reflect these differences in the hunting strategy, ”says Joel López Parés.
A new window to human evolution
This study, pioneer in your fieldoffers a novel vision of the relationship between humans and carnivorous mammals throughout prehistory. Beyond documenting the hunting and consumption of these animals, their findings raise new questions about the evolution of subsistence strategies, the role of humans as great predators and changes in ecosystems with the disappearance of large carnivores.
Although the work done It does not allow identifying if the bone remains analyzed were direct ancestors of dogs or cats Domestic, we ask Joel López Parés if the consumption of these carnivores could help have more information about the domestication process of the animals we know today. “Unfortunately, we cannot answer this question safely, since this was not the objective of our study,” admits Joel López Parés that, however, he acknowledges that the issue could open an interesting line of research in the future: “We could analyze whether there are differences in use as food for the species of carnivores that today have both wild and domestic populations, such as wolves and cats, compared to those that only have wild populations.”
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