Looks like human ancestors were cannibals who butchered and ate each other

The act of one human being eating another is undeniably repugnant, and a recent research tells us that this gruesome practice is not just limited to some movies and true crime shows. A groundbreaking study, utilizing fossilized bones as evidence, sheds light on the occurrence of cannibalism among our ancient ancestors, bearing striking similarities to the concept depicted in the movie "Bones and All."

What?

In a fascinating examination of a collection of fossilized bones, scientists made intriguing discoveries. The findings, published on nature.com, reveal a series of cut marks on human leg bones (tibia), indicating the possibility of cannibalistic activities by human ancestors approximately 1.45 million years ago.

•  Briana Pobiner, a paleoanthropologist from the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC, made this unsettling revelation during her analysis of the Nairobi National Museum collection, which is owned by the National Museums of Kenya.

[READ MORE: The chilling real story of Indian Predator Raja Kolander, from Netflix's Diary of a Serial Killer]

• Pobiner skillfully decoded the cuts and marks, uncovering nine distinct incisions that were clearly made by stone tools rather than animal interactions. These cut marks were observed on the tibia, one of the two bones comprising the leg, and closely resembled those found on animal fossils prepared for consumption.

Yes, Briana, actually was able to figure it out by decoding the cuts and marks. How? During her examination, Pobiner stumbled upon nine distinct cuts that were evidently not caused by animal interactions but rather by stone tools.

She discovered these tools on the tibia, one of two bones that comprise the leg. The cut marks found on the leg bone bore a resemblance to those seen on animal fossils that have been prepared for consumption as meals. 

Know more...

• To gain further insights, Pobiner conducted a comparative analysis between the observed cut marks (a total of 11) and approximately 900 marks documented in a database.
• Through this meticulous examination, the researchers determined that two of the 11 marks were caused by 'big cat bites.'

• However, the remaining nine marks displayed characteristics consistent with those created by stone tools, hinting at the possibility that one human may have butchered another.

This study presents the earliest documented evidence of hominins (human ancestors) engaging in the practice of cannibalism, as discovered by researchers.