Uncovering the Evolutionary Roots of Equestrian Hunting Practices

The article discusses recent research on ancient communal hunting practices by Neanderthals and early humans. The study, published in the Journal of Human Evolution, reveals that these groups likely hunted cooperatively to achieve greater success and efficiency.

One specific example is the Schöningen site in Germany, where researchers have found evidence of a large-scale horse hunt. The team used zooarchaeological analysis to reconstruct the marshy lake environment and identify the remains of 16 horses, including those with signs of being butchered quickly.

The study’s lead author, J.M. Hutson, suggests that this type of cooperative hunting was likely essential for Neanderthals‘ survival in the ancient world. ‘They were persistent predators,’ Hutson says. ‘They took down animals that were much bigger than themselves.’

Another key finding is that these early humans preferred to eat prime-age adults, rather than younger or older individuals. This suggests that they may have had a sophisticated understanding of animal behavior and physiology.

The research also highlights the importance of language and symbolic thinking in the development of communal hunting practices. According to co-author Eugène Morin, ‘When you think symbolically, you can imagine things that are not there… You can use words to represent objects and actions.’

The study’s findings have significant implications for our understanding of human evolution and behavior. They suggest that early humans were capable of complex social organization and cooperative hunting practices, which may have played a key role in their success.

Overall, the research highlights the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to studying human evolution and behavior. By combining zooarchaeological analysis with linguistic and symbolic thinking, researchers can gain a more complete understanding of how early humans lived and interacted with their environments.

Some of the key questions that this study raises include:

• How did Neanderthals develop their cooperative hunting practices?

• What role did language play in the development of these practices?

• How did these practices contribute to the success of early human societies?

These are just a few examples of the many questions that this research raises. As we continue to learn more about ancient human behavior and evolution, we can gain a deeper understanding of how our own species came to be where it is today.

References:

• Hutson, J.M., et al. (2024). Persistent predators: Zooarchaeological evidence for specialized horse hunting at Schöningen 13II-4. Journal of Human Evolution, 196, 103590.

• Morin, E., et al. (2024). Why do humans hunt cooperatively? Ethnohistoric data reveal the contexts, advantages and evolutionary importance of communal hunting. Current Anthropology, 65(3), 876-887.

• Gaudzinski-Windheuser, S., et al. (2023). Widespread evidence for elephant exploitation by Last Interglacial Neanderthals on the North European plain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(41), e2309427120.

• Rodríguez-Hidalgo, A., et al. (2017). Human predatory behavior and the social implications of communal hunting based on evidence from the TD10.2 bison bone bed at Gran Dolina (Atapuerca, Spain). Journal of Human Evolution, 105, 89-101.

• White, M., et al. (2016). Shoot first, ask questions later: Interpretative narratives of Neanderthal hunting. Quaternary Science Reviews, 140, 1-11.

Note: The references provided are a selection of the sources cited in the article and may not be an exhaustive list.