Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Science

Stone Age hunters in northern Europe may have used poison arrows to hunt big prey

Autumn walks in Britain are glorious, as the foliage changes color and cool, crisp air begins to bite. However, some of these European trees hide a much darker secret. For example, the yew tree's lovely red arils—the cup-shaped coverings around the seeds—carry toxins that may have been used to poiso...

Stone Age hunters in northern Europe may have used poison arrows to hunt big prey
Image: Phys.org
Autumn walks in Britain are glorious, as the foliage changes color and cool, crisp air begins to bite. However, some of these European trees hide a much darker secret. For example, the yew tree's lovely red arils—the cup-shaped coverings around the seeds—carry toxins that may have been used to poison arrow tips in the past.

Originally published at Phys.org

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