For decades, paleoanthropologists debated whether Neanderthals were hyper-carnivorous apex predators or opportunistic omnivores whose diets included a significant amount of plant matter. Recent scientific advancements have provided clearer insights, allowing researchers to distinguish between speculative claims about Neanderthal foraging habits and empirical evidence. Studies analyzing the stable isotope ratios of nitrogen-15 in Neanderthal bone collagen consistently reveal high values, which directly mirror those of modern terrestrial carnivores like wolves. This chemical signature indicates that Neanderthals obtained the vast majority of their dietary protein from large herbivores. However, researchers analyzing microfossils trapped in fossilized dental calculus (plaque) from Neanderthal teeth have recovered starch grains and phytoliths from wild barley and tubers. Some of these plant microfossils exhibit structural alterations, such as gelatinized starch walls, that occur only when starch is cooked. While the isotope data establishes that meat was the primary protein source, the dental microfossils demonstrate that Neanderthals routinely harvested, prepared, and consumed cooked plants, refuting the claim of strict hyper-carnivory.
Based on the passage, which of the following correctly matches each claim regarding Neanderthal diets with the specific empirical evidence that supports or refutes it?
- The claim that Neanderthals routinely harvested and cooked wild plantsRecovered starch grains and phytoliths with gelatinized walls found in fossilized dental calculus
- The claim that Neanderthals obtained the vast majority of their dietary protein from large herbivoresElevated stable isotope ratios of nitrogen-15 in Neanderthal bone collagen
- The historical claim that Neanderthals were strictly hyper-carnivorous apex predators who consumed no plantsRefuted by the recovery of wild barley and tuber microfossils from fossilized dental plaque