India, April 16 -- Aotearoa New Zealand's indigenous people, the Maori, mostly ate plant-based foods before the arrival of Europeans in the country, according to recent research by the University of Otago.

The study is one of only a small number of studies in New Zealand to use scientific analysis of koiwi tangata (human remains) to investigate diet, childhood life histories and chromosomal sex, according to a statement by the university.

The remains were accidentally discovered during archaeological investigations associated with the Hamilton Section of the Waikato Expressway, undertaken on behalf of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.

Before the arrival of Pākehā (Europeans), the Maori primarily used kumara (sweet potatoes) an...