The ancestors of the British who lived 15,000 years in the past turned out to be cannibals

A brand new examine within the UK has revealed that the oldest human DNA discovered within the nation belongs to 2 totally different human teams, one in every of which is a cannibal.

Researchers in London, England, analyzed the DNA of two Britons who lived in the direction of the tip of the Outdated Stone Age. Two of those had been discovered at Gough’s collapse Somerset and the opposite at Kendrick’s collapse North Wales.

Proof of life courting again 14,900 years

Specialists stated the human stays present in Gough’s cave belonged to a girl and lived 14,900 years in the past. It was said that the DNA pattern taken from Kendrick’s cave belonged to a person who lived 13,600 years in the past.

The outcomes present that every belonged to a separate group that migrated to England on the finish of the final Ice Age, each with very totally different diets, the Day by day Mail reported.

The girl discovered within the cave is a cannibal

Specialists stated the lady whose stays had been present in Gough’s cave was possible a part of a bunch of cannibals, whereas the opposite man ate predominantly marine and freshwater meals.

The brand new examine was led by specialists on the Pure Historical past Museum of London, the College of London School and the Francis Crick Institute, and is revealed within the scientific journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.

“We did not know after they first got here to Britain”

Analysis writer from the Pure Historical past Museum, Dr. Selina Brace, “We actually wished to be taught extra about who these early human populations in Britain consisted of. We knew from our earlier work that Western hunter-gatherers had been in Britain about 10,500 years in the past. However we did not know after they first got here to Britain and whether or not this was the one inhabitants there.” stated.

“They ate a whole lot of marine and freshwater meals”

Alternatively, the examine discovered that the DNAs examined weren’t simply genetically totally different, however culturally totally different as effectively. Analysis writer Dr. from UCL. Rhiannon Stevens “Chemical analyzes of the bones confirmed that people in Kendrick’s cave ate a lot of marine and freshwater meals, together with giant marine mammals.” stated.

“Proof of ritualistic cannibalism”

Stevens continued:

“No proof was discovered that individuals in Gough’s cave ate marine and freshwater meals. The cranium cups discovered within the cave may be interpreted as proof of ritualistic cannibalism.”