How stable isotope analysis reveals what ancient humans and Neanderthals ate
By 
Rachel Brazil2025-08-18T08:34:00
Analytical chemistry can tell us what our ancestors ate thousands – or even millions – of years ago. Rachel Brazil gets her teeth into the evidence
What did our ancestors really eat – and how do we know? From mammoth steaks to savanna grasses, the secrets of prehistoric diets are being unearthed not by digging up food scraps, but by analysing the chemical fingerprints left in ancient bones and teeth. Using cutting-edge isotope ratio analysis, scientists are reconstructing meals from millions of years ago, revealing surprising insights into human evolution and Neanderthal dining habits.