FRIED FLINTSTONE
Our love of fish and chips goes back almost a million years, new study reveals
Boffins have discovered why modern Brits love starch-heavy foods
OUR love of fish and chips goes back almost a million years, a study reveals.
Neanderthals and cavemen had the same gene that makes us crave carbs such as spuds, experts say.
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Called AMY1, it speeds up sugar digestion thanks to an enzyme called amylase in the saliva.
It meant our Fred Flintstone-like ancestors could guzzle loads of starchy grub more efficiently, helping ensure their survival.
It also explains why modern Brits love starch-heavy foods, with fish and chips ranked as our favourite meal.
Study author Dr Omer Gokcumen, from New York’s University of Buffalo, said: “The more amylase genes you have, the more starch you can digest.
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"This allowed humans to adapt to shifting diets as starch consumption rose dramatically with new technologies and lifestyles.”
A study of ancient human remains found the AMY1 gene started around 800,000 years ago in Neanderthals.
It grew among hunter-gatherers who ate wild potatoes.
Modern humans flourished by developing further copies of the genes with a varied diet.
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Dr Gokcumen said: “People with higher AMY1 copy numbers were likely digesting starch more efficiently and having more children.
“Their lineages ultimately fared better over a long evolutionary timeframe.”
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