title: Stable isotope dietary analysis of the Tianyuan 1 early modern human.
abstract: We report here on the isotopic analysis of the diet of one of the oldest modern humans found in Eurasia, the Tianyuan 1 early modern human dating to approximately 40,000 calendar years ago from Tianyuan Cave (Tianyuandong) in the Zhoukoudian region of China. Carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of the human and associated faunal remains indicate a diet high in animal protein, and the high nitrogen isotope values suggest the consumption of freshwater fish. To confirm this inference, we measured the sulfur isotope values of terrestrial and freshwater animals around the Zhoukoudian area and of the Tianyuan 1 human, which also support the interpretation of a substantial portion of the diet from freshwater fish. This analysis provides the direct evidence for the consumption of aquatic resources by early modern humans in China and has implications for early modern human subsistence and demography.
authors: Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors: Yaowu
authors: Y
authors: Hu
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: Shang
authors: Haowen
authors: H
authors: Tong
authors: Olaf
authors: O
authors: Nehlich
authors: Wu
authors: W
authors: Liu
authors: Chaohong
authors: C
authors: Zhao
authors: Jincheng
authors: J
authors: Yu
authors: Changsui
authors: C
authors: Wang
authors: Erik
authors: E
authors: Trinkaus
authors: Michael P
authors: MP
authors: Richards
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002681:China; D004032:Diet / Q000266:history*; D005399:Fishes; D020387:Food Chain; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D007553:Isotope Labeling; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D013455:Sulfur
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D013455:Sulfur