Clovis woman thrived on mammoth meat, sparking debate over Ice Age diets
- A team of scientists has uncovered significant evidence regarding the dietary habits of the Clovis people who lived 13,000 years ago in North America.
- The research showed that 40% of the diet of a Clovis woman was composed of mammoths, indicating a preference for large game.
- These findings support the hypothesis that the Clovis people were effective big-game hunters, which may have contributed to the extinction of large mammals at the end of the last Ice Age.
In a recent research study, scientists discovered crucial insights into the diet of Clovis people, who lived in North America approximately 13,000 years ago. The findings are significant as they provide direct evidence of the Clovis diet, focusing primarily on large game like mammoths. Conducted by a team led by James C. Chatters from McMaster University and Ben A. Potter from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the study drew attention to the diets of these prehistoric humans and detailed how it aligned with their environmental context. Researchers analyzed isotopic data from the remains of a Clovis woman and compared it with potential food sources available during her time. The isotopes revealed that about 40% of her diet was attributed to mammoths, underscoring the importance of these large animals to the Clovis culture. This marks the first direct evidence confirming that Clovis people were not merely foragers or hunters of smaller animals but were closely linked to megafauna as their primary source of nourishment. The implications of this research are significant. Understanding the dietary habits of the Clovis people sheds light on their lifestyle and adaptability. These ancient humans might have taken advantage of large game hunting as a strategy for survival, which enabled their swift migration across North America into South America within a few hundred years. This dietary preference could also provide insights into the factors contributing to the extinction of large mammals at the end of the Ice Age. The study suggests that as climate change affected habitats, megafauna like mammoths became more vulnerable to human predation. The effectiveness of Clovis hunters in targeting these large animals is critical in understanding the ecosystem dynamics of the time. Overall, this research advances the ongoing debate regarding the lifestyle and dietary preferences of the Clovis people, confirming them as skilled big-game hunters who relied heavily on mammoths for sustenance.