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Study on 1.6-million-year-old fossils from the Koobi Fora Formation in Kenya indicates that ancient humans accessed carcasses early, selected the meatiest parts, transported limbs to safe areas, and processed bones to obtain nutrients.
Cut marks on 1.6-million-year-old fossilized bones indicate that ancient humans from the Koobi Fora Formation in northern Kenya accessed carcasses early, transported valuable parts, and intensely processed meat.
The conclusion appears in research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, based on the study of more than 1,000 fossilized bone specimens, mainly of antelopes and other grazing animals. The work indicates that these groups did not rely on random leftovers.
The researchers analyzed the fossils with high-power magnification to differentiate microscopic marks left by stone tools from those produced by predator teeth. Scratches, holes, hammer marks, and incisions helped reconstruct how the animals were utilized.
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Cut marks reveal early access to carcasses
The presence of sharp cut marks in the middle of leg bones suggests that humans reached the carcasses when there was still meat available. For the team, the pattern indicates early access, limb transport, and intense processing.
The bones showed hammer marks, associated with breaking to reach internal nutrients. Together, the evidence shows that the meat was systematically removed and that the bones were opened after the external parts were utilized.
In the article, the scientists state that the patterns indicate carcasses accessed early by primitive Homo, with limbs transported and intensely processed, along with minimal participation of carnivores. The combination of marks reinforces the idea of a repeated strategy.
Meatier parts were taken to safe places
The majority of remains found at the site correspond to leg bones, not complete skeletons. For the authors, this suggests that early humans selected the best cuts and took them to areas with lower risk.
If the animals had been consumed at the site of death, it would be expected to find skulls, vertebrae, and other body parts. However, the predominance of the meatier limbs indicates selective displacement of the carcasses.
This choice may also have reduced exposure to larger predators. Instead of staying where the animal died, the groups took parts of the carcass to more protected places, such as nearby sheltered areas.
Strategy occurred in varied environments
About 1.6 million years ago, the Koobi Fora Formation region encompassed different environments, including vast grasslands and densely vegetated floodplains. The local diversity appears in the study as part of this behavior.
Scientists claim that a consistent strategy of scavenging carcasses was sustained by environmental heterogeneity and changes in competitive regimes. The reading of fossils shows repetition of processing under different conditions.
Cutting, food, and human evolution
The study relates reliable access to high-quality food to the provision of energy for subsequent changes. According to the authors, meat and internal nutrients from bones may have helped in the evolution of larger brains.
The research indicates that this recurring utilization of animal resources may have supported the later emergence of more complex social behaviors. The cutting on the bones, at the beginning, middle, and end of the analysis, shows organized practice.
