The overlooked survival strategy that made us human

The study brings together an international group of experts, including Dr. Jordi Rosell, a professor at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili and researcher at IPHES-CERCA, and Dr. Maite Arilla, also of IPHES-CERCA. Additional contributors came from CENIEH, IREC-CSIC, IPE-CSIC, Universidad Miguel Hernández, and the universities of Alicante, Granada, and Málaga.

Why Scavenging Was a Smart Survival Strategy

According to the researchers, scavenging offered clear benefits to early humans. Finding and exploiting animal carcasses required far less energy than hunting live prey and could provide critical nutrition during times of scarcity. During periods of famine, carrion may have been one of the most reliable food sources available.

Recent ecological studies also support this view, showing that carrion is more abundant and predictable than previously assumed. Many scavenger species have also developed behaviors that help limit their exposure to disease, further reducing the risks associated with this food source.

Humans Were Well Equipped to Scavenge

The researchers emphasize that humans are biologically and behaviorally suited for scavenging. "The acidic pH of the human stomach may act as a defense against pathogens and toxins, and the risk of infection decreased considerably when we began to use fire for cooking. Moreover, our ability to travel long distances with low energy expenditure was key to finding food opportunities," they explain.

These traits, combined with early technology, gave humans a unique advantage. Language and stone tools -- even the simplest ones -- made it possible to coordinate group efforts, locate carcasses, and extract valuable resources such as meat, fat, and bone marrow. Scavenging worked alongside hunting and plant gathering as part of a flexible and efficient food strategy.

Challenging the Idea of Scavenging as Primitive

The question of how early humans first obtained meat has been debated for decades. In the 1960s, discoveries in Africa showing that ancient hominins consumed meat raised a key question: were they skilled hunters, or were they primarily scavengers? For many years, scavenging was dismissed as a temporary and inferior phase that humans abandoned once hunting skills improved.

That interpretation has now been overturned. Modern research shows that all carnivorous species consume carrion to some degree. In addition, many present-day hunter-gatherer societies still include scavenging as part of their subsistence practices, demonstrating that it remains a practical and effective strategy.

A Core Behavior That Helped Make Us Human

The authors conclude that scavenging was never just a stepping stone on the path to hunting. Instead, it was a consistent and essential part of human survival that complemented other food-gathering methods. Far from being a marginal behavior, eating carrion (far from being a marginal behavior) played a central role in shaping human evolution and ultimately helped make us human.