In a study published in the American Journal of Biological Anthropology, researchers performed a gnathic (jaw and tooth) analysis on 10,000-year-old remains found in the Godavari River basin. Using high-resolution micro-CT scans and stable isotope analysis of the dental enamel, the team identified a diet primarily composed of high-protein aquatic resources and specialized forest tubers.
The physical structure of the jawbones indicates a specific 'grinding' wear pattern that suggests the use of early processing tools to mill wild grains long before the formal advent of agriculture in the region. This research provides evidence of a 'pre-agricultural niche' where Holocene hunter-gatherers in Southern India had already mastered complex food processing techniques, allowing for more sedentary lifestyles than previously assumed for that period.