The fat from frozen mammals reveals sources of essential fatty acids suitable for Palaeolithic and Neolithic humans.
Authors: Guil-Guerrero José L, Tikhonov Alexei, Rodríguez-García Ignacio, Protopopov Albert, Grigoriev Semyon, Ramos-Bueno Rebeca P
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary Understanding the nutritional landscape available to our ancestors provides valuable context for evaluating contemporary equine and human nutrition. Researchers analysed lipid composition from six exceptionally well-preserved Siberian specimens—two mammoths, two horses, and two bison spanning 41,000 to 4,400 years before present—using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to quantify essential fatty acid profiles. The fat samples revealed that single-stomached megafauna consumed by Palaeolithic and Neolithic hunters contained substantive quantities of both n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, potentially meeting current recommended daily intakes for optimal health. These findings carry particular relevance for equine practitioners considering that the horses analysed displayed lipid signatures consistent with hibernation physiology, suggesting seasonal metabolic adaptations that may influence modern performance horse nutrition and condition management strategies. The work underscores how historical prey animal composition can inform our understanding of nutrient bioavailability and the importance of examining forage quality and body composition in contemporary equine athletes expected to perform at high levels year-round.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •This study is not relevant to equine veterinary or farriery practice; it addresses human paleodiet and ancient fat composition.
Key Findings
- •Fat samples from frozen mammoths, horses, and bison contained n-3 and n-6 fatty acids in quantities potentially sufficient to meet modern recommended daily intake for essential fatty acids.
- •Single-stomached mammals consumed by Palaeolithic/Neolithic hunters provided suitable dietary sources of both n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
- •Analysis of frozen specimens suggests mammoths and horses may have been hibernators based on fat composition patterns.