Hominids may have hunted rabbits as far back as 400,000 years ago
Small game was on the menu surprisingly early for members of the human genus in Western Europe
By Bruce Bower
In Europe, Stone Age hominids began adding small, fast animals to their menus much earlier than previously thought, scientists say.
Now-extinct members of the human genus, Homo, hunted rabbits and, to a lesser extent, hares in southern France and probably other Mediterranean parts of Europe by around 400,000 years ago, researchers report online March 6 in Science Advances. Hunters also bagged larger creatures such as wild goats and deer. The new finding may highlight the flexibility and innovativeness of these ancient relatives of humans.