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Image Credit: Jodelet / Lépinay, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Insect Eating Was Rare in Ancient Europe
A new genomic study suggests that ancient Europeans rarely ate insects, and that any insect consumption over the past 9,000 years was probably occasional or accidental rather than a regular part of the diet. The research combines ancient dental calculus analysis with genetic evidence linked to chitin digestion.
The study examined ancient dental calculus, or mineralized dental plaque, from 745 anatomically modern humans, most of them from Europe, as well as 18 Neanderthals. Researchers also compared the results with dental calculus from great apes, including chimpanzees and gorillas, whose diets are better documented.
The analysis found only limited traces of insect DNA in ancient modern human samples. These traces were much lower than those identified in Neanderthals, western chimpanzees, and gorillas. In many cases, the insect DNA may reflect accidental ingestion through contaminated food, water, stored grains, or postmortem contamination, rather than deliberate insect eating.
The Neanderthal samples showed higher insect DNA abundance, closer to that seen in western chimpanzees. The study notes that this may support the idea that Neanderthals sometimes consumed animal carcasses containing insect larvae, although the evidence remains limited and cautious.
The second part of the study focused on genes related to chitin digestion. Chitin is a major component of insect exoskeletons. Researchers found strong geographic patterns in two stomach-expressed chitinase genes, CHIA and CTBS. These patterns suggest that populations in tropical regions, where insects are more abundant and more commonly eaten, may have had stronger evolutionary advantages for digesting chitin.
Ancient genome data showed that these genetic patterns were already present by the beginning of agriculture and remained relatively stable through later migrations. In ancient Eurasians, the study found genetic variants associated with lower stomach expression of chitin-digesting enzymes, suggesting limited adaptation to regular insect consumption.
Overall, the research supports the view that deliberate insect eating was not a common dietary practice in prehistoric Europe. While occasional consumption may have occurred, especially during food shortages, the combined evidence points to insects playing only a minor role in ancient European diets.
Published on: 07-06-2026
Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie
Source: Science Advances
