Dogs that Ate Plants: Changes in the Canine Diet During the Late Bronze Age and the First Iron Age in the Northeast Iberian Peninsula

We studied 36 dogs (Canis familiaris) from the Can Roqueta site in the Catalan pre-littoral depression (Barcelona), dated between the Late Bronze Age and the First Iron Age (1300 and 550 cal BC). We used a sample of 27 specimens to analyse the evolution of the dogs' diet based on the carbon delta C-13 and nitrogen delta N-15 isotope composition. The results show a marked human influence in that these natural carnivores display a highly plant-based diet. The offset between canids and herbivorous ungulates does not reach the minimum established for a trophic level, which implies an input of C-3 and C-4 (millet) cultivated plants. Moreover, the homogeneity in the values indicates that humans prepared their dogs' food.

Automated summary

The study revealed a strong human influence on the diet of Can Roqueta dogs, with a highly plant-based diet that includes cultivated plants like millet. The homogeneous values indicate that humans prepared food for their dogs.