Prehistoric Hunter Habits May Have Shrunk Fish

October 26, 2014 By: Erin Block

While anglers are famous for story and size embellishment, the earliest fishermen may have not had to tell tall tales. After examining remains of prehistoric fish dinners in the northern Spain region, researchers have found the average size of Atlantic salmon and brown trout have shrunk significantly, due in part to selected size targeting. “Over time, prehistoric hunters’ preference for catching big ones caused salmon and trout to downsize,” explains James Owen, “because proportionally more small fish survived to breed and pass on their genes.”  Via National Geographic.