Isotopic evidence of high reliance on plant food among Later Stone Age hunter-gatherers at Taforalt, Morocco

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-024-02382-z
Isotopic evidence of high reliance on plant
food among Later Stone Age hunter-gatherers
at Taforalt, Morocco
29 April 2024
Abstract
The transition from hunting-gathering to
agriculture stands as one of the most
important dietary revolutions in human
history. Yet, due to a scarcity of
well-preserved human remains from
Pleistocene sites, little is known about
the dietary practices of pre-agricultural
human groups. Here we present the isotopic
evidence of pronounced plant reliance
among Late Stone Age hunter-gatherers
from North Africa (15,000–13,000 cal BP),
predating the advent of agriculture by
several millennia. Employing a
comprehensive multi-isotopic approach, we
conducted zinc (δ66Zn) and strontium
(87Sr/86Sr) analysis on dental enamel, bulk
carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur
(δ34S) isotope analysis on dentin and bone
collagen, and single amino acid analysis on
human and faunal remains from Taforalt
(Morocco). Our results unequivocally
demonstrate a substantial plant-based
component in the diets of these
hunter-gatherers. This distinct dietary
pattern challenges the prevailing notion of
high reliance on animal proteins among
pre-agricultural human groups. It also
raises intriguing questions surrounding the
absence of agricultural development in North
Africa during the early Holocene. This study
underscores the importance of investigating
dietary practices during the transition to
agriculture and provides insights into the
complexities of human subsistence strategies
across different regions.