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Robert C. Power

, Michael J. Walker

, Domingo C. Salazar-García

1,3

, Amanda G. Henry

Evidence for Neanderthal plant food consumption at Sima de las Palomas, Southeastern Iberia

The dietary patterns of the Neanderthal populations of Western Eurasia are poorly understood. Some

models and direct isotopic evidence suggest that Neanderthals were top-predators and had a more restrict-

ed diet than did early modern humans (Richards and Trinkaus, 2009), which may have been a competitive

disadvantage and ultimately led to their extinction (Stiner and Kuhn, 2009). Until recently there is limited

data available on Neanderthal dietary intake of plant foods, despite these foods often providing a large pro-

portion of hunter-gatherer diets.

The Neanderthals from southern Europe are less understood than their more northern counterparts, though

there is evidence that they persisted late in this area (Zilhão 2006) and likely had access to a wider spectrum

of dietary resources (Hardy 2010, El Zaatari, 2011). However, the vegetal component of diet in Middle

Palaeolithic Western Mediterranean is almost entirely unknown.

We analysed the plant microfossils (phytoliths and starch grains) preserved in dental calculus and on stone tools

in order to assess the vegetal consumption by Neanderthals at Sima de las Palomas in southeastern Iberia. This

site is known for its Neanderthal population with an unusual combination of derived and archaic features,

some of which may be adaptations to local environments (Walker et al. 2008; 2011b,c,d,e).

The 24 Neanderthal teeth, 9 carnivore and herbivore teeth, and 8 tools in our study date to between 60,000 and

40,000 calendar years before present (Walker et al. 2011a). Our results provide the rst direct evidence of con-

sumption of plants including members of the grass family, in the Middle Palaeolithic Western Mediterranean,

which may inuence our understanding of the behavioural variation among Neanderthal groups.

Acknowledgements:

This project was funded by the Max-Planck Society.

References:

Hardy, B.L. 2010. Climatic variability and plant food distribution in Pleistocene Europe: Implications for

Neanderthal diet and subsistence. Quaternary Science Reviews 29, 5-6, 662-679.

Richards, M.P. 2009. Isotopic evidence for the diets of European Neanderthals and early modern humans.

Procedures of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 106, 16034-

16039.

Stiner M and Kuhn S 2009 Paleolithic diet and the division of labor in Meidterranean Eurasia. In: The evo-

lution of hominin diets: Integrating approaches to the study of Palaeolithic subsistence. Hublin JJ

and Richards M (eds) Springer 157-170.

Walker, J. Michael, Josep Gibert, Mariano V. López, A. Vincent Lombardi, Alejandro Pérez-Pérez, Josena

Zapata, Jon Ortega, Thomas Higham, Alistair Pike, Jean-Luc Schwenninger, João Zilhão, and Erik

Trinkaus. 2008. Late Neandertals in Southeastern Iberia: Sima de las Palomas del Cabezo Gordo,

Murcia, Spain. PNAS 2008 105 (52) 20631-20636.c

Walker, M. J. A.V.Lombardi, J.Zapata, E.Trinkaus. 2010. Neandertal mandibles from the Sima de las Palomas

del Cabezo Gordo, Murcia, southeastern Spain. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 142:

261-272.

Walker, M. J., M.V.López-Martínez, J.Ortega-Rodrigáñez, M.Haber-Uriarte, A.López-Jiménez, A.Avilés-

Fernández, J.L-Polo Camacho, M.Campillo-Boj, J.García-Torres, J.S,Carrión-García, M.San Nicolas-

del Toro, T.Rodríguez-Estrella. 2011a. The excavation of the buried articulated Neanderthal skele-

tons at Sima de las Palomas (Murcia, SE Spain). Quaternary International (ISSN: 1040-6182). (early

edition published on-line April 5, 2011. D.O.I.: 10.1016/j.quaint.2011.03.034)

Walker, M. J., J.Zapata, A.V.Lombardi, E.Trinkaus, 2011b. New evidence of dental pathology in 40,000 year

old Neandertals. Journal of Dental Research 90: 428-432 (ISSN 0022-0345).

Walker, M. J., J.Ortega, K.Parmová, M.V.López, E.Trinkaus. 2011c. Morphology, body proportions, and

postcranial hypertrophy of a female Neandertal from the Sima de las Palomas, southeastern Spain”

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108 (25) 10087-10091.

Walker, M. J. M.V.López-Martínez, J.Ortega-Rodrigáñez, M.Haber-Uriarte, A.López-Jiménez, A.Avilés-

Fernández, J.L-Polo Camacho, M.Campillo-Boj, J.García-Torres, J.S,Carrión-García, M.San Nicolas-

del Toro, T.Rodríguez-Estrella. 2011d. The excavation of the buried articulated Neanderthal skele-

tons at Sima de las Palomas (Murcia, SE Spain).” Quaternary International.

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