New analysis of early human hominid fossils revealed that hyenas apparently ate humans and devouring them some 500,000 years ago. When it comes to the food chain, humans are usually on top but this could be proven as a murky idea some hundreds of thousands years ago.
Scientists have discovered a human femur bone inside a cave in Morocco which reveals telltale signs that its last, previous owner was gnawed away by a huge hyena. Apparently, during the mid Pleistocene era, our human ancestors were battling it out with many large and vicious carnivorous species for food. This is not just hyenas but also bigger predators such as sabre tooth cats and large baboons. However, there is only little to no evidence at all about these prehistoric struggles of daily living for early hominid survival.
In this new study, further investigation of this femur showed visible teeth marks and gouges that were identified at each end of the bone. Researchers have not yet identified the hominin individual it originally belonged to and the cause of this discovery is still unknown, whether this prehistoric human was hunted to death by hyenas where the vicious animals cornered him and ate him alive.
Previous excavations have discovered evidence about hominins living in the region that also hunted and consumed hyenas, suggesting that during this period, both species hunted each other as a source of food to ensure survival.
According to Camille Daujeard from the National Museum of Natural History in France, these types of encounters and violent confrontations between prehistoric ancestors and large predators during this period in North Africa must have been prevalent however, this discovery is also one of the very rare specimens of human consumption by carnivores, that is proven.
This femur was uncovered in the Grotte à Hominidés cave near Casablanca which is an area that has been known for rich hominid discoveries and fossils that also include fossilized remains of ancient creatures. This particular human bone was found inside the cave in 1994 that has been forgotten for decades until this new research.
The Middle Pleistocene era started some 781,000 years ago ending some 126,00 years before the advent of modern humans. This also marks the time when Earth was undergoing various geological processes such as climate changes, volcanic eruptions and migrating land masses.
This new finding does not entirely prove that hyenas hunted ancient humans but it does provide a glimpse about the struggles and complexities of the two species during that period. These new findings are detailed in the journal, PLOS ONE.