Jena, May 21, 2026. A scientific paper from the Max-Planck-Institut für Geoanthropologie in Jena sheds new light on human dietary history: plants were an important food source in tropical rainforests thousands of years before the emergence of systematic agriculture.
- Topic: Scientific study on nutrition in the Pleistocene
- Involved Institution: Max-Planck-Institut für Geoanthropologie (Jena)
- Background: Intensive use of rainforest plants long before the Neolithic Revolution
The classic image of agriculture in transition
In historiography and archaeology, the transition to sedentary life and the accompanying introduction of agriculture is traditionally considered the decisive turning point in human dietary habits. It was often assumed that only the targeted cultivation of grains and vegetables led to a primarily plant-based diet on a large scale. The new data from Jena now refute this assumption for certain regions.
The researchers were able to prove that people living in the tropical rainforest had already established a highly differentiated and intensive use of the local plant world during the Pleistocene – long before the first known agricultural cultures. Accordingly, the rainforest served by no means only as a sparse backdrop for hunting, but was a rich source of plant-based foods that were specifically harvested and utilized.
Background on the science location Jena
The Jena-based Max-Planck-Institut für Geoanthropologie (formerly the Max-Planck-Institut für Menschheitsgeschichte) researches the deep past of our species using state-of-the-art scientific methods. By combining archaeology, genetics, and microanalyses – such as the examination of microscopic plant remains on prehistoric tools or teeth – the Jena scientists can reconstruct the lifestyle of earlier cultures in great detail. Such interdisciplinary approaches regularly contribute to refining global academic opinions on human development.
Source:
Study from Jena: Plants were important long before agriculture
Transparency note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.