--- title: "Scientists Make Horrific Discovery About Cannibalism in Human Ancestors" description: "If you've ever wondered about what our ancestors had for dinner, you might want to reconsider in light of these new findings." date: "2023-06-26" modified: "2023-06-26" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/human-ancestor-bone-cannibalism" categories: - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "cannibalism" - "homo sapiens" - "paleoanthropology" - "paleontology" --- # Scientists Make Horrific Discovery About Cannibalism in Human Ancestors ![If you've ever wondered about what our ancestors had for dinner, you might want to reconsider in light of these new findings.]() *\Image: Pobiner et al\* If you imagine life in the distant past as idyllic, think again. In grim new findings, scientists have found evidence that our ancient human ancestors engaged in cannibalism, at least sometimes. A new [study published in the journal *Scientific Reports*]() outlines previously-unnoticed archaeological findings that imply an ancient hominin cut up and ate another in what may now be the oldest-known evidence of cannibalism — though there are still lots of questions about which *Homo sapiens* relative (or relatives, plural) were involved. As [*Smithsonian* magazine notes]() in its look at the study, these stunning conclusions came from distinctive marks on a 1.45 million-year-old shin bone that not only indicate that the bone was cut at the knee in a style used to strip meat, but also that a large cat chewed on it as well. Beyond those facts, gleaned from remains housed in a Kenyan museum, the situation is open to interpretation, ranging from what exact species of human relative the bone is from to whether it was the same species as the ancient hominin who chopped the other up. "We just know that some tool-wielding hominin came and cut meat off of that bone," Smithsonian paleoanthropologist Briana Pobiner, one of the coauthors of the study, told the magazine. "The most plausible explanation is that they did that to eat it." Though the shin bone was found in Kenya's Turkana region in 1970 by famous anthropologist Mary Leakey, it wasn't until 2017 that Pobiner, who studies the evolution of human diet at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, took a closer look. "I’ve seen tool marks on many animal fossils from this area and time period, so I thought, 'Wow, I definitely know what this is,'" the researcher added. "But I also thought — 'Surprise! This is definitely not what I thought I would find.'" Pobiner sent data about the bone and markings to fellow paleoanthropologist — and eventual study co-author — Michael Pante at the University of Colorado to run them through a database of nearly 900 known butchery, bone, and tooth markings to see if her suspicions were right. She shared no background data about where it came from or what she believed might have gone on with the bone. After being put through the database, according to *Smithsonian*'s reporting, Pante and Purdue researcher Trevor Keevil determined that nine of the 11 markings had come from stone tools and that the two bite marks seemed to come from a big cat, which answered some questions while raising others. The researchers behind the study have suggested that the butchered bone may have belonged to a member of the *Homo erectus* or *Paranthropus boisei* species, though there's no consensus yet on that, much less on what of our ancestors cut it up, *Smithsonian* notes. While it's far from the first time paleontologists have found evidence of our ancestors eating each other, it's nevertheless an incredible discovery given the sheer age of the shin bone. "It’s interesting to think about how long our ancestors and relatives have been seeing other people as potential food," Pobiner told *Smithsonian*. **More on humans consuming other humans:** [*Youth-Obsessed Tech Mogul Now Swapping Blood With His Teenage Son*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()