Neanderthals Snacked on Shellfish During the Winter, a Seasonal Pattern Later Seen in Humans

Neanderthals living in southern Europe were such lovers of shellfish that they probably knew exactly when to catch molluscs for a quick meal. For those who occupied Los Aviones Cave in Spain 115,000 years ago, the best strategy was to collect molluscs during the coldest months of the year, a plan that scientists originally thought only modern humans were capable of carrying out.

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences discovered evidence that Neanderthals in southern Spain deliberately consumed shellfish seasonally. By identifying mollusc remains that contained clues to ancient seawater temperatures, the researchers determined that Neanderthals would have often eaten mollusks between November and April to get as much meat and flavor as possible. This shows that Neanderthals were no ordinary foodies – they were strategists with efficient eating schedules.

“They consumed marine resources throughout the year, but with a very clear preference for the winter and autumn months. This pattern, very similar to that developed by more recent populations of modern humans in Europe and other regions, cannot be a coincidence,” lead author Asier García-Escárzaga, a researcher at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ​​said in a statement.

Learn more: Our human ancestors started taking fish out of water 2 million years ago

Neanderthal life in the Iberian Peninsula

Neanderthals have a long history on the Iberian Peninsula, where they lived until their extinction around 40,000 years ago. Previous research has suggested that caves on the Iberian Peninsula, including Gorham Cave in Gibraltar and Teixoneres Cave in Catalonia, may have been refuges for some of the last extant Neanderthals.

According to the study authors, the ability of Southern European Neanderthals to exploit marine resources in an organized manner has been disputed in the past; Taking a seasonal approach to shellfish consumption has been widely considered a characteristic of modern humans rather than Neanderthals.

To see if Neanderthals really were a match for humans when it came to shell collecting, researchers traveled to Los Aviones Cave, near the coastal town of Cartagena in southeastern Spain, which was once home to Neanderthals during the Middle Paleolithic. Here they recovered remains of small gastropods (a group of invertebrates that includes snails) and limpets.

Getting the Most Out of Shellfish

Next, the researchers needed to know what time of year these molluscs would have been consumed by Neanderthals. They achieved this by checking oxygen isotope signals preserved in the mollusk shells, which correlate with seawater temperature.

“By reconstructing variations during shell growth, these values ​​act as a prehistoric thermometer. This allows one to infer temperature changes as well as the exact time of year a mollusc was collected, revealing new details about seasonal consumption patterns,” García-Escárzaga said.

Analysis of oxygen isotopes in mollusk remains revealed that Neanderthals living in Los Aviones Cave knew the best time to obtain and eat shellfish based on marine ecological cycles; According to the study authors, during fall and winter, some shellfish have more meat and improved flavor and texture.

Neanderthals may also have passed on seafood during the summer to avoid exposure to toxic algae brought on by warmer temperatures; the heat would also have caused rapid decomposition of the shellfish.

Neanderthals’ planning around the seasons proves that they were surprisingly resourceful, devising an effective strategy for eating shellfish, just as modern humans would eventually do.

A reliable resource

In addition to eating shellfish, the Neanderthals of Los Aviones Cave also had another claim to fame involving marine molluscs; a 2018 study in Science found evidence that they painted shells with red and yellow pigments, which may be one of the earliest examples of Neanderthal artistic creation.

Elsewhere in southern Europe, other groups of Neanderthals used shells in several ways. A 2020 study in PLOS One found that Neanderthals who occupied the Grotta dei Moscerini, a cave on the west coast of Italy, had modified shells and used them as scrapers 100,000 years ago, likely diving into the Mediterranean Sea to collect them. And in a 2023 study in BordersResearchers have unearthed remains of 90,000-year-old brown crabs at the Gruta de Figueira Brava site in Portugal, which Neanderthals are believed to have opened to obtain meat.

Whether used as tools or snacks, shells were a vital resource for Neanderthals who lived in southern Europe.

Learn more: From DNA to the fossil record, here’s why we have a good idea of ​​what Neanderthals looked like

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