Anthropology Colloquium Series feat. guest speaker Dr. Melanie Beasley of Purdue University

“Meat with a side of Maggots: The role of the ethnohistoric record and experimental archaeology in understanding the Paleolithic paleomenu”

Join us for the next installment of the UAF Anthropology Colloquium Series, featuring guest speaker Dr. Melanie Beasley from Purdue University.
For years, high chemical nitrogen markers in ancient human bones led scientists to believe early hominins ate more meat than apex predators like lions and hyenas. But consuming that much lean meat causes a dangerous condition known as "rabbit starvation."
In this talk, Dr. Beasley shares groundbreaking findings from her Science Advances research: Neanderthals and early humans likely stored and fermented meat, intentional practices that allowed fat-rich, nitrogen-concentrated maggots to thrive. Rather than a sign of desperation, maggot-rich foods were a deliberately cultivated, nutritious staple on the Paleolithic menu.