Research

Study: Neanderthals Likely Ate Maggots, Not Hypercarnivores

Published JUL 26 2025

Story

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Facts

New research published in Science Advances suggests that Neanderthals may have eaten maggots along with meat, challenging an earlier study of Neanderthal bones. The previous analysis had linked high nitrogen isotope ratios — higher than those found in apex predators like lions and hyenas — to a hypercarnivore diet, theorizing that Neanderthals' diet consisted of over 70% meat.
guardian
History
The Week
Scientists studied decomposing human tissue and maggots at the University of Tennessee's Forensic Anthropology Center, finding that nitrogen isotope values in fly larvae ranged from 5.4 to 43.2 permil, up to four times higher than those in herbivores.
IFLScience
The Conversation
Humans cannot safely consume more than 300 grams of lean protein daily without risking protein poisoning or "rabbit starvation," a potentially lethal condition that affects the liver's ability to process excess nitrogen.
CNN
IFLScience
Ethnographic records show that Indigenous peoples, such as the Inuit, routinely consumed putrefied, maggot-infested meat as a delicacy. One explorer noted that the meat "crawling with maggots" was eaten by companions "with evident relish."
The Conversation
CNN
The study, published on Friday, suggests that maggots converted lean game meat into fatty substances, providing Neanderthals with essential fats and complete nutrition when consumed alongside muscle tissue.
New Scientist
Science
History
Traditional hunting cultures prioritized fatty organs, brain and marrow over lean muscle meat, which was often fed to dogs, indicating ancient food preferences differed significantly from modern Western diets.
CNN
History

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

This research finally solves the mystery of Neanderthal nutrition, revealing that they were far more sophisticated than previously thought. Maggots provided essential fats that lean game meat lacked, creating a complete protein source that allowed our ancient relatives to thrive. The evidence from traditional cultures suggests that this wasn't desperate survival behavior, but rather deliberate food processing that maximized nutritional value from every kill.

IFLScience

History

Narrative B

While the maggot theory is intriguing, it remains speculative, mainly based on limited forensic data from modern human corpses rather than actual Neanderthal remains. The study acknowledges significant limitations, including small sample sizes and differences between modern fly species and those from 40,000 years ago. More concrete archaeological evidence is needed before overturning established theories about the Neanderthal diet.

CNN