Neanderthal exploitation of birds in north-western Europe: Avian remains from Scladina Cave (Belgium)
Journal: Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology
Year: 2024

For a long time, Neanderthals were considered hunters of large mammals, whereas the diversification of the exploited faunal spectrum to include smaller taxa, including birds, was assumed to be specific to anatomically modern humans. In recent decades, archeozoological analyses of faunal remains from layers associated with Middle Paleolithic lithic industries have revealed traces of human manipulation of small taxa, indicating the exploitation of a wider range of animals than previously thought.