The teeth of the Neanderthals said about their food.
Scientists have found the details of the diets of Neanderthals and found that they used natural analogues of modern medicine.
On one of the jaws of Neanderthals from the cave of El Sidron in Spain found traces of balsam poplar, which contains salicylic acid – the basis of modern aspirin.
Also on this jaw were found traces of inflammation. This led the scientists to conclude that poplar was used as a medicine and not as food. Also on the jaw found traces of the fungus like Penicillium, from which in the last century did the antibiotic penicillin. However, perhaps in this case, the food was just amazed by this fungus.
The scientists also found that Neanderthals caves of El Sidron in Spain prefer pine nuts, moss, and mushrooms. And their relatives living on the territory of modern Belgium, eaten woolly rhinos and wild sheep.
These findings the international team of scientists has made through the analysis of plaque on the jaws. “This substance may be a curse for your dentist, but for those who are studying the diet of our ancestors, it is a treasure trove of preserved DNA” – says the journalists.
It is interesting to note that the overall composition of bacteria living in the mouth of Spanish Neanderthals resembled that of our African ancestors-gatherers, but the bacteria of the Belgian Neanderthals look more similar to the bacteria found in early farmers.
© 2017, paradox. All rights reserved.
