Neanderthals already had a seafood season: a UAB study reveals how they planned its consumption

BarcelonaThe more we know about Neanderthals thanks to archaeological research, the closer they get to us. We know they could speak, but we don't know if they invented stories. They cared for the sick and the dead, but we don't know if they hugged and cried at a burial. They painted objects and cave walls, but we cannot know if it was for a mystical purpose or to describe their daily lives. A new study led by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) further demolishes the image of Neanderthals as rough and primitive hunters: 115,000 years ago, populations in the Los Aviones cave (Murcia) were already planning shellfish consumption according to the season, with a clear preference for winter months.

The international research, led by the UAB Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA-UAB), has shown that these hominids applied identical shellfish collection strategies to those of sapiens. The study, published in the journal "PNAS", demonstrates that Neanderthal groups already managed marine resources in a planned and structured manner, thus anticipating by thousands of years the behaviors documented in modern humans.

To determine at what time of year shellfish was consumed, researchers have used a high-precision technique: the analysis of oxygen isotopes in the shells of winkles and pagellids. This method works like a "prehistoric thermometer", as the chemical composition of the carbonate varies according to the water temperature at the time of shell growth. "This allows us to infer thermal changes and the exact time of collection, revealing unprecedented details about consumption habits," explains Asier García Escárzaga, principal investigator of the study.

The results are conclusive: Neanderthals collected shellfish all year round, but intensified their activity between November and April. This choice was not by chance, but rather responded to intelligent environmental management, as it was the time when many species had more meat, better texture, and better taste. "They consumed marine resources throughout the year, but with a very clear preference for the winter and autumn months. This pattern, very similar to that developed by more recent populations of modern humans in Europe and other areas of the world, cannot be coincidental," says García Escárzaga. Furthermore, they avoided the risks of summer, such as the proliferation of toxic algae (red tides) and the rapid decomposition of the product due to heat. This diet, rich in omega-3 and zinc, was fundamental for brain development and reproductive health. The finding confirms that Neanderthals possessed cognitive abilities and socioeconomic organization fully comparable to ours.