Science: Discovering Our Ancestors’ Cannibalistic Past 1.45 Million Years Ago

Briana Pobiner, a paleoanthropologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, made a significant discovery at Kenya’s Nairobi National Museum. She came across a hominin tibia, a shin bone that showcased cut marks indicating butchering practices. This finding suggests that our ancient human relatives engaged in cannibalism, making it potentially the oldest evidence of such behavior. The cut marks revealed a stone tool methodology used to remove meat, while two additional bite marks indicated the presence of a large cat.

Unfortunately, due to the limited survival of the shin bone, researchers cannot determine the specific ancient species of Homo sapiens relative that was cannibalized. The identity of the individual responsible for butchering is also unspecified. Nevertheless, this finding exemplifies one human evolutionary cousin consuming another, suggesting the earliest known instance of cannibalism if the ancient species were the same. Pobiner, who studies the evolution of human diet, underscores the plausibility that the butchering occurred for sustenance.

The cut marks underwent a meticulous analysis. Pobiner molded them using dental materials and sent them to Michael Pante, a paleoanthropologist at Colorado State University, who compared them with a comprehensive database of known bone markings, including those from various carnivorous animals and tools. Pante’s analysis confirmed that nine marks were produced by stone tools, while the other two were likely from a large cat.

Numerous questions remain unanswered regarding this remarkable discovery. Researchers are unsure about the identities of the victim and butcher. There is current speculation that the deceased hominin could be a Paranthropus boisei or Homo erectus, but a consensus has not been reached. Palmira Saladié Ballesté, an archaeologist at the Catalan Institute of Human Paleoecology and Social Evolution, acknowledges the difficulty in inferring behavioral aspects with only one bone displaying signs of butchery, but suggests that it can be considered cannibalism between technologically advanced hominins.

Furthermore, the bite marks attributed to a big cat could be from a lion, saber-toothed carnivores, or other extinct cats. The unknown cat may have killed the victim and subsequently been driven off by humans who then claimed the body. Alternatively, hominins may have killed and butchered the individual before the arrival of the big cats. Alternatively, the death may have been unrelated to violence, and scavengers managed to find a free meal. Pobiner emphasizes that modern lions and other ancient African predators likely engaged in scavenging, causing human involvement to be plausible.

Although cannibalistic behavior is considered taboo in most modern human societies, evidence suggests that it was relatively common in prehistoric times. A skull from South Africa, potentially ranging from 1.5 million to 2.6 million years old, is another candidate for the earliest known instance of cannibalism among early human relatives, but debate surrounds the interpretation of the cut marks found on the skull. From around half a million years ago, cannibalism was observed more frequently in the fossil record among species such as Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. Pobiner suggests that Neanderthals, in particular, may have engaged in cannibalism due to food scarcity in marginal environments.

Anthropologist Silvia Bello of the Natural History Museum in London believes that cannibalism may have been more widespread than currently understood. Many human remains have not been preserved, and butchery marks are not always visible. The consumption of tissue without bone marks or complete bodily consumption, as seen among the Wari in South America, leaves no evidence behind.

It is unlikely that early humans frequently hunted each other for sustenance. Other prey would have been more desirable due to the low caloric value found in human meat. Cannibalism may have served as a dietary supplement, with our ancestors taking advantage of deceased individuals for easy sustenance. However, there is evidence of ritual or cultural cannibalism in younger archaeological sites, suggesting aggression or group interactions. For instance, at Gran Dolina in Spain, evidence of cannibalism was found, with 11 young Homo antecessor individuals being butchered and their brains presumably consumed approximately 800,000 years ago.

In conclusion, the discovery of cut marks on a 1.45-million-year-old shin bone provides fascinating insights into the potential cannibalistic practices of our ancient human relatives. While many questions remain, this finding offers valuable information about our evolutionary history and the complex behaviors exhibited by our ancestors.

 

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Denial of responsibility! TechCodex is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.