HU YaoWu, SHANG Hong, et al.
Stable istope dietary analysis of the Tianyuan 1 early modern human
PNAS 106(27): 10971-10974

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 ~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.

-Steve