麻豆社

Researchers have identified the oldest decisive evidence of humans practising cannibalism. The new study in Scientific Reports describes nine cut marks in a shin bone fossil of a relative of Homo Sapiens in northern Kenya, dating from some 1.45 million years ago. Analysis of the marks suggest it is the oldest instance of cannibalistic behaviour with a high degree of confidence and specificity. Newsday spoke to Dr Briana Pobiner is an paleo-anthropologist at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in the US and author of the study.

(Image: The hominin tibia and magnified area showing cut marks; Credit: Jennifer Clark/Smithsonian)