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Stable isotope dietary analysis of the Tianyuan 1 early modern human.
- Source :
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; 7/7/2009, Vol. 106 Issue 27, p10971-10974, 4p
- Publication Year :
- 2009
-
Abstract
- We report here on the isotopic analysis of the diet of one of the oldest modern humans found in Eurasia. the Tianyuan 1 early modern human dating to ≈40,000 calendar years ago from Tianyuan Cave (Tianyuandong) in the Zhoukoudian region of China. 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, we measured the sulfur isotope values of terrestrial and freshwater animals around the Zhoukoudian area and of the Tianyuan 1 human, which also support the interpretation of a substantial portion of the diet from freshwater fish. This analysis provides the direct evidence for the consumption of aquatic resources by early modern humans in China and has implications for early modern human subsistence and demography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- HUMAN origins
ISOTOPES
NITROGEN
CARBON
FRESHWATER fishes
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00278424
- Volume :
- 106
- Issue :
- 27
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 43379197
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0904826106