Early Humans Were Likely Animal Scavengers and Ate Saber-Tooth Cat Leftovers

It took a lot of fat and protein to survive during the Last Ice Age. Researchers explore if early humans scavenged animals and if it contributed to their development.

By Matt Hrodey
Oct 4, 2023 3:45 PMOct 4, 2023 3:40 PM
Carrion skull and carcus on a grassy field
Saber-tooth cats ate only a portion of what they killed, creating opportunities for other species. (Credit: PeterRoziSnaps/Shutterstock)

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When early humans first arrived in modern-day Spain, about a million and a half years ago, they immediately faced a quandary: what to eat?

Scientists have long suspected that they borrowed from the still-fresh kills of saber-tooth cats, which would have only eaten a portion of their meal. In doing so, Homo erectus, or perhaps another early hominin, would have faced competition from the bone-crushing giant hyena, a long-extinct scavenger that would have weighed more than 200 pounds.

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