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Fish on the menu of our ancestors
Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News ^ | Tuesday, July 7, 2009 | Sandra Jacob

Posted on 07/08/2009 6:02:11 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

The isotopic analysis of the diet of one of the earliest modern humans in Asia, the 40,000 year old skeleton from Tianyuan Cave near Beijing, has shown that at least this individual was a regular fish consumer. Michael Richards of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology explains "Carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of the human and associated faunal remains indicate a diet high in animal protein, and the high nitrogen isotope values suggest the consumption of freshwater fish." To confirm this inference the researchers measured the sulphur isotope values of terrestrial and freshwater animals around the Zhoukoudian area and of the Tianyuan human.

Since fish appeared on the menu of modern humans before consistent evidence for effective fishing gear appeared, fishing at this level must have involved considerable effort. This shift to more fish in the diet likely reflects greater pressure from an expanding population at the time of modern human emergence across Eurasia. "This analysis provides the first direct evidence for the consumption of aquatic resources by early modern humans in China and has implications for early modern human subsistence and demography", says Richards.

(Excerpt) Read more at genengnews.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs; livemonkeybrain; monkeybrain; origins; prehistory; tablewithcenterhole; tianyuancave
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To: mysterio

I stole some smoked salmon once, got it home, realized it had really been poached.


21 posted on 07/09/2009 8:23:02 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/__Since Jan 3, 2004__Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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To: SunkenCiv

Now that’s finny.


22 posted on 07/10/2009 7:24:19 AM PDT by wildbill ( The reason you're so jealous is that the voices talk only to me.)
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To: wildbill

It’s the hook-up.


23 posted on 07/10/2009 7:43:52 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/__Since Jan 3, 2004__Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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To: doodad

/bingo


24 posted on 07/10/2009 7:44:15 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/__Since Jan 3, 2004__Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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