Diet and environment 1.2 million years ago revealed through analysis of dental calculus from Europe’s oldest hominin at Sima del Elefante, Spain

Hardy, Karen; Radini, Anita; Buckley, Stephen; Blasco, Ruth; Copeland, Les; Burjachs, Francesc; Girbal, Josep; Yll, Riker; Carbonell, Eudald; Bermúdez de Castro, Jose María

doi:10.1007/s00114-016-1420-x

Short Communication
Published: 15 December 2016

Diet and environment 1.2 million years ago revealed through analysis of dental calculus from Europe’s oldest hominin at Sima del Elefante, Spain

Karen Hardy ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1127-2397^1,2,
Anita Radini³,
Stephen Buckley³,
Ruth Blasco⁴,
Les Copeland⁵,
Francesc Burjachs^1,6,7,
Josep Girbal⁸,
Riker Yll⁸,
Eudald Carbonell^6,7 &
Jose María Bermúdez de Castro⁴

The Science of Nature volume 104, Article number: 2 (2017) Cite this article

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Abstract

Sima del Elefante, Atapuerca, Spain contains one of the earliest hominin fragments yet known in Europe, dating to 1.2 Ma. Dental calculus from a hominin molar was removed, degraded and analysed to recover entrapped remains. Evidence for plant use at this time is very limited and this study has revealed the earliest direct evidence for foods consumed in the genus Homo. This comprises starchy carbohydrates from two plants, including a species of grass from the Triticeae or Bromideae tribe, meat and plant fibres. All food was eaten raw, and there is no evidence for processing of the starch granules which are intact and undamaged. Additional biographical detail includes fragments of non-edible wood found adjacent to an interproximal groove suggesting oral hygiene activities, while plant fibres may be linked to raw material processing. Environmental evidence comprises spores, insect fragments and conifer pollen grains which are consistent with a forested environment.

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Acknowledgments

Funding was provided by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. (I+D code HAR2012-3537). Funding was provided by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MINECO): grant numbers CGL2015-65387-C3-1 & 3-P, as well as the Junta de Castilla y León. The sample was taken with the collaboration of CENIEH Staff". (I+D code HAR2012-3537).

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Authors and Affiliations

ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Karen Hardy & Francesc Burjachs
Departament de Prehistòria, Facultat de Filosofia i Lletres, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Karen Hardy
Department of Archaeology, University of York, The King’s Manor, York, UK
Anita Radini & Stephen Buckley
Centro Nacional de Investigacion sobre la Evolución Humana, CENIEH, Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca, 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain
Ruth Blasco & Jose María Bermúdez de Castro
School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Les Copeland
IPHES, Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Campus Sescelades URV, edifici W3, 43007, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
Francesc Burjachs & Eudald Carbonell
URV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Area de Prehistoria, Avinguda Catalunya 35, 43002, Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
Francesc Burjachs & Eudald Carbonell
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Josep Girbal & Riker Yll

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Karen Hardy
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Anita Radini
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Stephen Buckley
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Ruth Blasco
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Les Copeland
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Francesc Burjachs
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Josep Girbal
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Riker Yll
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Eudald Carbonell
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Jose María Bermúdez de Castro
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Correspondence to Karen Hardy.

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Communicated by: Mary T. Silcox

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Hardy, K., Radini, A., Buckley, S. et al. Diet and environment 1.2 million years ago revealed through analysis of dental calculus from Europe’s oldest hominin at Sima del Elefante, Spain. Sci Nat 104, 2 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-016-1420-x

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Received: 02 August 2016
Revised: 02 October 2016
Accepted: 03 November 2016
Published: 15 December 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-016-1420-x

Keywords

Human evolution
Sima del Elefante
Atapuerca
Dental calculus
Diet
Microfossils
Paleoenvironment