Your dislike of eating bugs may be 9,000 years old
Ancient teeth and human DNA are revealing a surprising history of insect eating. Modern humans in northern Eurasia appear to have eaten insects only occasionally, while Neanderthals may have consumed them much more regularly. Populations near the tropics also retained genes that make insect exoskeletons easier to digest.
As the world's population swells and climate change threatens food security, scientists are exploring insects as a potential sustainable food source. Yet, many Western societies remain skeptical of consuming insects, even though millions already do in other cultures. Researchers from Spain's Institute of Evolutionary Biology, in a study published in Science Advances, used genetic evidence to trace insect consumption back thousands of years.
They discovered that insect eating was occasional and accidental in Europe, Central and East Asia, while more common in tropical regions and among Neanderthals. This indicates a possible evolutionary basis for Western reluctance to eat bugs. Ancient teeth revealed that modern humans in northern Eurasia didn't regularly consume insects, and genetic tests showed Neanderthals had a stronger ability to digest insects, similar to chimpanzees.
Additionally, populations living closer to the equator retained genes for chitin digestion, suggesting they benefited more from insect-based diets. Thus, the aversion to eating insects in many Western societies could trace back to ecological and evolutionary factors, not just cultural or religious beliefs.
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