Soru

Paleodietary reconstructions of Middle Paleolithic hominins historically relied on zooarchaeological faunal assemblages and stable isotope analyses of skeletal collagen, methods that inherently biased interpretations toward high-trophic-level terrestrial mammalian carnivory. Because plant matter leaves negligible macroscopic fossil residues and plant-derived isotopes are often masked in bulk bone collagen profiles by high meat intake, hominin reliance on flora was presumed marginal. Recent microfossil analyses of fossilized dental calculus (calcified dental plaque), however, have complicated this picture. Calculus traps intact starch granules, phytoliths, and microbotanical residues within a calcium phosphate matrix that resists environmental diagenesis. Residue analysis of Neanderthal dental calculus across multiple ecologically disparate European sites has revealed not only the consistent entrapment of cooked starchy grains and roasted underground storage organs, but also trace compounds of Salicaceae (willow bark, which contains salicylic acid) and Penicillium molds exclusively in specimens presenting severe dental abscesses and gastrointestinal infections. Consequently, the longstanding model of strict carnivorous hyper-specialization reflects methodological sampling constraints rather than empirical dietary exclusivity.

Based on the passage, which of the following inferences regarding Paleolithic hominin dietary research can be properly drawn? (Select all that apply.)