Papers by Zineb Moubtahij
Nature ecology & evolution, Apr 29, 2024
The transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture stands as one of the most important dietary ... more The transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture stands as one of the most important dietary revolutions in human history. Yet, due to a scarcity of well-preserved human remains from Pleistocene sites, little is known about the dietary practices of pre-agricultural human groups. Here we present the isotopic evidence of pronounced plant reliance among Late Stone Age hunter-gatherers from North Africa (15,000-13,000 cal BP), predating the advent of agriculture by several millennia. Employing a comprehensive multi-isotopic approach, we conducted zinc (δ 66 Zn) and strontium ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) analysis on dental enamel, bulk carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) and sulfur (δ 34 S) isotope analysis on dentin and bone collagen, and single amino acid analysis on human and faunal remains from Taforalt (Morocco). Our results unequivocally demonstrate a substantial plant-based component in the diets of these hunter-gatherers. This distinct dietary pattern challenges the prevailing notion of high reliance on animal proteins among pre-agricultural human groups. It also raises intriguing questions surrounding the absence of agricultural development in North Africa during the early Holocene. This study underscores the importance of investigating dietary practices during the transition to agriculture and provides insights into the complexities of human subsistence strategies across different regions.
The transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture stands as one of the most significant dietar... more The transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture stands as one of the most significant dietary revolutions in human history. Yet, due to a scarcity of well-preserved human remains from Pleistocene sites, little is known about the dietary practices of pre-agricultural human groups. Here, we present the first isotopic evidence of pronounced plant reliance among Late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers from North Africa, predating the advent of agriculture by several millennia. Employing a comprehensive multi-isotope approach, we conducted zinc (δ66Zn) and strontium (87Sr/86Sr) analysis on dental enamel, carbon (δ13C), and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope analysis on dentin and bone collagen, alongside single amino acid analysis on humans and fauna from Taforalt (Morocco). Our results unequivocally demonstrate a substantial plant-based component in the diets of these hunter-gatherers. This distinct dietary pattern challenges the prevailing notion of high reliance on animal proteins among pre-agric...
Goldschmidt2022 abstracts, 2022
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
The characterization of Neandertals’ diets has mostly relied on nitrogen isotope analyses of bone... more The characterization of Neandertals’ diets has mostly relied on nitrogen isotope analyses of bone and tooth collagen. However, few nitrogen isotope data have been recovered from bones or teeth from Iberia due to poor collagen preservation at Paleolithic sites in the region. Zinc isotopes have been shown to be a reliable method for reconstructing trophic levels in the absence of organic matter preservation. Here, we present the results of zinc (Zn), strontium (Sr), carbon (C), and oxygen (O) isotope and trace element ratio analysis measured in dental enamel on a Pleistocene food web in Gabasa, Spain, to characterize the diet and ecology of a Middle Paleolithic Neandertal individual. Based on the extremely low δ 66 Zn value observed in the Neandertal’s tooth enamel, our results support the interpretation of Neandertals as carnivores as already suggested by δ 15 N isotope values of specimens from other regions. Further work could help identify if such isotopic peculiarities (lowest δ 6...
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Papers by Zineb Moubtahij