New evidence uncovered by researchers from the Smithsonian Institution and George Washington University disproves the theory that Neandertals ate a meat-heavy diet deficient in other nutrients.

After discovering starch granules from plant food trapped in the dental remains of 40,000 year-old Neandertal teeth, scientists now speculate that Neandertals ate a variety of plants, including cooked grains as part of a diverse diet similar to early modern humans. The presence of these granules indicates that Neandertals made sophisticated, thoughtful food choices, and ate more nutrient-rich plants than once thought. Previously, anthropologists hypothesized that Neandertals did not survive at least in part due to a deficient diet.