- Cavemen abandoned meat and became vegetarian more than 15,000 years ago
- Instead of embracing healthy vegetables, they fed on beige starchy foods
Cavemen gave up meat more than 15,000 years ago and became vegetarians, scientists have discovered.
But instead of embracing healthy leafy greens and colorful vegetables, our ancestors feasted on beige starchy foods like grains, nuts and legumes.
Previous studies assumed that humans developed a taste for starch much more recently, when agriculture was invented about 8,000 years ago.
The high glucose levels in starch may have paved the way for the expansion of the human brain, making us the dominant species on Earth.
Researchers analyzed the bones and teeth of Stone Age hunter-gatherers, often depicted tucking into slabs of meat, to discover their true diet.
Cavemen gave up meat and became vegetarian more than 15,000 years ago, scientists have discovered (stock image)
Zineb Moubtahij, from the Max Panck Institute in Germany, said: ‘Our findings not only provide insight into the dietary practices of pre-agricultural human groups, but also highlight the complexity of human survival strategies.
‘Understanding these patterns is crucial to unraveling the broader story of human evolution.’
The new study, published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, also found that Stone Age people began weaning their babies with bland cereal before they turned one.
However, the intense dependence on plant foods did not lead to the development of plant cultivation until much later.
Although there was some evidence for limited meat consumption, it appeared that people ate mainly plants. They may have collected and stored these throughout the year to ensure a consistent food supply.
Researchers analyzed the bones and teeth of Stone Age hunter-gatherers, often depicted tucking into slabs of meat, to discover their true diet
The researchers examined human remains from the Taforalt cave in eastern Morocco.
By analyzing the chemical composition of their preserved teeth, they were able to determine what the hunter-gatherers ate.
The scientists said their findings “unequivocally demonstrate a substantial plant component” of the caveman diet, challenging the assumption that they had “a high dependence on animal protein.”
Markings on the ancient teeth also suggested they had not been used to chew meat and provided clues as to when babies were weaned.
Today, starch makes up about 60 percent of the calories people consume worldwide.
Overconsumption of starchy foods, combined with lack of exercise, is blamed for a national obesity epidemic and rising levels of type 2 diabetes.
The main culprits are potatoes, bread, pasta, rice and breakfast cereals.