Genetic and dental evidence shows Europeans shunned insects for millennia

Researchers at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology, a joint centre of the Spanish National Research Council and Pompeu Fabra University, analyzed dental tartar from 745 anatomically modern humans dating back up to 33,000 years and compared it with Neanderthal and Denisovan samples. Their DNA work showed that modern humans in northern Eurasia consumed insects only sporadically, a finding mirrored by mutations in chitinase genes that diminish the capacity to digest chitin, a trend that has lasted roughly 9,000 years since agriculture began.

By contrast, Neanderthal calculus contained substantial insect DNA, especially from Diptera, suggesting regular ingestion of insects or insect-laden carrion, and their chitinase genes were more efficient. Populations nearer the tropics displayed genetic variants linked to higher expression of chitin-digesting enzymes, reflecting a sustained tradition of insect eating where insects are plentiful. The study argues that Western aversion to entomophagy stems not just from culture but from a long-standing ecological scarcity that shaped human biology. The team is now exploring insect domestication to aid future sustainable food production.