Scientists have discovered new information about the diet of the first humans to spread across North America during the Ice Age. By studying the bones of a young child found in southern Montana, researchers were able to learn about the diet of his mother, who lived around 12,800 years ago. Since the child was still breastfeeding when he died, the chemicals in his bones reflected his mother’s food choices. The study revealed that she mainly ate meat from large animals, known as megafauna, such as mammoths. Mammoths made up about 40% of her diet, with other animals like elk, bison, and camels making up the rest. This discovery provides insight into the eating habits of the Clovis people, who are believed to have hunted large animals instead of gathering plants.

The findings suggest that the Clovis people’s diet focused on megafauna, which were large, energy-rich animals like mammoths that could feed entire groups for long periods. This hunting strategy helped early humans quickly spread across North and South America. The study also suggests that hunting megafauna may have contributed to the extinction of these animals. The research highlights how human activities may have affected the environment during the Ice Age. The use of stable isotope analysis, which identifies the chemical signature of food, played a key role in these discoveries.