A new study published in Science Advances reveals a surprising dietary focus for the Clovis people, ancient ancestors of Native Americans who lived during the last ice age, CNN reports.
Analysis of the remains of a 13,000-year-old infant, discovered in Montana in 1968, indicates that mammoths formed a significant portion of the Clovis diet.
Scientists from American and Canadian universities examined the chemical signatures in the infant’s bones, revealing the dietary makeup of his nursing mother. Mammoths constituted some 35% of her diet, with elk, bison, and camel also featuring prominently. Consumption of smaller mammals and plants was negligible.
This finding provides direct evidence of the Clovis people’s reliance on megafauna, confirming long-held suspicions based on archaeological evidence like Clovis points (characteristic spearheads) and animal remains found at dig sites. Previously, there was debate surrounding the extent to which large animals dominated their diet, with some researchers suggesting a more varied consumption of smaller animals and plants.
The use of stable isotope analysis provided direct, rather than circumstantial, evidence of mammoth consumption. By comparing the mother’s isotopic signature to other food sources and animals, researchers found her diet most closely resembled that of a scimitar cat – a known mammoth predator.
The study’s co-lead author, James Chatters of McMaster University, described the findings as bringing the Clovis people “more real” to him, moving beyond artifacts and bones to a more tangible understanding of their lives. He suggested their reliance on mammoths explains how they spread across North America and into South America within a few hundred years, following the mammoths’ migratory patterns.
Shane Doyle, executive director of Yellowstone Peoples, who worked with Native American tribes on the research, emphasized the Clovis people’s skill, determination, and resilience.
The study also raises the possibility that human hunting contributed to the extinction of mammoths. Haynes noted that mammoth sites often contain a disproportionate number of young animals, suggesting that humans targeted easier prey, potentially impacting mammoth populations during a period of climate change.
