The tooth's owner was primarily a meat eater
Scientists made the discovery by analyzing the concentrations of different versions, or isotopes, of zincs in a Neanderthal tooth found in Gabasa, Spain. That analysis revealed that the tooth's owner was a"top-level carnivore", the researchers wrote, and was far less reliant on eating plants than previously surveyed Neanderthals in the region.
RELATED STORIES —Humans and Neanderthals evolved from a mystery common ancestor, huge analysis suggestsAs the Gabasa tooth could be anywhere between 100,000 to 200,000 years old, the researchers turned to a new technique that analyzed zinc isotopes in the teeth enamel. As animals go up the food chain, their tissue tends to store more zinc-64 relative to zinc-66.