Could carbohydrates from food-animals have supported a balanced diet for Neanderthals?

• Published in: Journal of archaeological science Vol. 146; p. 105664
• Main Author: Guil-Guerrero, José Luis
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.10.2022
• Subjects: archaeology; Arctic region; diet; energy; females; food animals; humans; Arctic region
• ISSN: 0305-4403
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2022.105664

Neanderthal diets included variable amounts of animal-foods, and to avoid food poisoning from meat-based diets, Neanderthals should have included alternative nutrients in their diets to fulfil daily energy requirements. While there are no doubts that animal fats played an important role in Neanderthal diets, it has been argued that available carbohydrates (ACH) were also necessary and that a low ACH intake may have resulted in low reproductive abilities, making Neanderthals more susceptible to their disappearance. Nonetheless, today there is wide consensus on that ACH requirement of the human body can be met by endogenous synthesis without signs of deficiency in the absence of dietary sources. Even if ACH were necessary for Neanderthals, the ones of animal origin could have supported a balanced diet, while viscera from large mammals could have been an inexhaustible source of ACH. Furthermore, chewing of guts, which is typical behaviour of Arctic cultures, could have increased ACH intake, especially for female Neanderthals. It is expected that this focus article will stimulate the debate about Neanderthal diets and encourage the exchange of ideas among researchers from different fields on this subject, and thus the global knowledge of Neanderthals will benefit from such cooperation.