Study reveals the ancient American settlers followed the giant beasts’ migratory routes.

A new study, published early this month in Science Advances, sheds light on the diet of the Clovis people, ancestors of modern Native Americans or Amerindians, revealing that mammoths and other large animals were a staple during the last ice age.

Researchers from American and Canadian universities analyzed chemical signatures from the remains of an 18-month-old child buried approximately 13,000 years ago near Wilsall, Montana. Discovered in 1968, the burial provided valuable insights into the mother’s diet, as the child was still nursing.

The scientists found that mammoths accounted for about 35% of the mother’s diet, complemented by elk, bison, and camel. Consumption of smaller mammals and plants was minimal.

More to read:
Why did our ancestors eat each other 1.45 million years ago?

The Clovis people likely followed migratory routes of mammoths, enabling them to spread across North and South America within a few hundred years, according to the findings.

While their use of lance-shaped “Clovis points” to hunt large game has been known, previous evidence of their diet was indirect, such as animal remains and hunting tools. This had fueled debates, with some researchers arguing for a varied diet that included plants, fish and smaller animals.

The new paper provides evidence that mammoths were a significant part of their diet during the ice age and that Clovis tribes were skilled and resilient humans.

More to read:
Polynesians sailed to South America long before European colonists

Using stable isotope analysis, the team identified isotopic signatures of carbon and nitrogen in the infant’s remains, adjusted for nursing effects. Comparing these signatures to other food sources revealed that the mother’s diet resembled that of a scimitar cat, a predator that primarily hunted mammoths.

The study also raises questions about human impact on mammoth extinction. Younger animals, which were the easiest to hunt, dominate mammoth remains at major sites in North America and Europe. The study authors theorize that this selective hunting, coupled with harsh climate conditions, removed several generations of reproductive animals, thus hastening the species' demise.

***
NewsCafe relies in its reporting on research papers that need to be cracked down to average understanding. Some even need to be paid for. Help us pay for science reports to get more interesting stories. Use PayPal: office[at]rudeana.com or paypal.me/newscafeeu.