The researchers suggest that the plants may have been stored so that the Iberomaurusians would have food supplies all year.
Additionally, prehistoric humans may have incorporated wild plants into the diets of infants sooner than was initially assumed.
“Many people used to think that eating lots of plant-based food started only after agriculture began. But our study changes that idea,” Moubtahij said.
“This suggests that the switch to eating more plants might have started earlier than we thought, even before farming. Understanding this helps us see how our diets changed over time and how early humans adapted to their environment.”