Nature & Environment
Ice Age Humans Were Feasting On Salmon Sooner Than We Thought
Kathleen Lees
First Posted: Sep 23, 2015 12:50 PM EDT
People who lived during the ice age probably ate salmon, according to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS). This new study provides us with earliest evidence of this activity on record, dating the cuisine as far back as 10,000 years ago.
"Salmon fishing has deep roots, and we now know that salmon have been consumed by North American humans at least 11,500 years ago," lead study author Carrin Halffman, who is an anthropologist with the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, said in a news release.
Yet the study findings also contradict previous beliefs regarding the Ice Age Paleoindians, suggesting that they exclusively hunted big game, according to the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Researchers initially stumbled onto 11,500-year-old chum salmon bones that were scattered among human remains, along with some ancient tools. A DNA and isotope analysis of the remains suggested that the remains came from sea-run salmon, not landlocked fish.
"We have cases where salmon become landlocked and have very different isotopic signatures than marine salmon. Combining genetic and isotopic analyses allow us to confirm the identity as chum salmon, which inhabit the area today, as well as establish their life histories," Halffman added. "Both are necessary to understand how humans used these resources."
The researchers discovered the salmon remains in an ancient cooking hearth based in a residential structure. This reveals that ancient Beringian diets were much more varied than once thought. Furthermore, it shows that Ice Age humans used complex strategies as well as specialized equipment to get their meals. Researchers now even believe that salmon fishing may have played a role in the early human colonization of North America.
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First Posted: Sep 23, 2015 12:50 PM EDT
People who lived during the ice age probably ate salmon, according to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS). This new study provides us with earliest evidence of this activity on record, dating the cuisine as far back as 10,000 years ago.
"Salmon fishing has deep roots, and we now know that salmon have been consumed by North American humans at least 11,500 years ago," lead study author Carrin Halffman, who is an anthropologist with the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, said in a news release.
Yet the study findings also contradict previous beliefs regarding the Ice Age Paleoindians, suggesting that they exclusively hunted big game, according to the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Researchers initially stumbled onto 11,500-year-old chum salmon bones that were scattered among human remains, along with some ancient tools. A DNA and isotope analysis of the remains suggested that the remains came from sea-run salmon, not landlocked fish.
"We have cases where salmon become landlocked and have very different isotopic signatures than marine salmon. Combining genetic and isotopic analyses allow us to confirm the identity as chum salmon, which inhabit the area today, as well as establish their life histories," Halffman added. "Both are necessary to understand how humans used these resources."
The researchers discovered the salmon remains in an ancient cooking hearth based in a residential structure. This reveals that ancient Beringian diets were much more varied than once thought. Furthermore, it shows that Ice Age humans used complex strategies as well as specialized equipment to get their meals. Researchers now even believe that salmon fishing may have played a role in the early human colonization of North America.
Recent Articles
Pink Salmon at Risk of Acidification in Oceans and Freshwater with CO2 Increases from Climate
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone