Sunday, April 06, 2008

I bet he left the lid up, too

Because he certainly forgot to flush:

Washington D.C (AHN) - Fossilized feces, dating back some 14,000 years, is said to be the oldest evidence of human habitation found in North America. The ancient poop offers new DNA evidence about the identity of the first North Americans.

Researchers from the University of Oregon and University of Copenhagen made the discovery after examining DNA found in the oldest of the droppings recovered from caves in Oregon. The sample was carbon-dated and found to be approximately 14,340 years old.

The fossil contains two main genetic types of Asian origin considered unique to present-day Native Americans. The new findings offer proof that immigration took place more than 1,000 years earlier than otherwise believed.These genetic data suggest that the earliest North American settlers hailed from Eastern Asia and Siberia.

Researchers published their findings Thursday in the online edition of the journal Science.

University of Oregon archaeologist Dennis Jenkins found the feces in the Paisley caves, which are located in the south-central part of the state.

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