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Oldest Human Hair Discovered In Fossilized Poop

Posted by samzenpus on from the near-the-top-of-the-food-chain dept.

goran72 writes "A new study has suggested that strands discovered in fossil hyena poop found in a South African cave could be the oldest-known human hairs. According to a report in National Geographic News, researchers discovered the rock-hard hyena dung near the Sterkfontein caves, where many early human ancestor fossils have been found."

50 comments

  1. Multiple discoveries! by Chris+Burke · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oldest known human hair.
    Oldest known person eaten by a hyena!

    --

    The enemies of Democracy are
    1. Re:Multiple discoveries! by rubycodez · · Score: 4, Funny

      oldest human in turd form, besting Dick Cheney's record!

    2. Re:Multiple discoveries! by Philip+K+Dickhead · · Score: 1

      Bah. That Hyena is a Dinosaur - but the Darwinist unbelievers are covering this up!

      --
      "Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." -- George Orwell
    3. Re:Multiple discoveries! by buswolley · · Score: 1
      This article is nothing more than a contest for the most hilarious.

      Let it commence then...

      --

      A Good Troll is better than a Bad Human.

    4. Re:Multiple discoveries! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bono.

    5. Re:Multiple discoveries! by mhaskell · · Score: 1

      Oldest known human hair. Oldest known person eaten by a hyena!

      I guess you really can have a wild hair up your ass.

  2. Could be? by dov_0 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    If it's rock hard, no DNA etc. Isn't this just speculation? Unfortunately speculation that the masses will take as 'fact' simply because a 'scientist' said it.

    --
    sudo mount --milk --sugar /cup/tea /mouth /etc/init.d/relax start
    1. Re:Could be? by John+Hasler · · Score: 2, Interesting

      > Isn't this just speculation?

      Probably not. The microscopic structure of the hair of a given species is unique.

      --
      Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
    2. Re:Could be? by Dr.+Hellno · · Score: 5, Informative

      the article is actually pretty careful about not asserting this as fact. The article only asserts that hairs were found with "wavy bands of scales" which suggest modern primates. Human hairs closest resemble these hairs, so it's possible that they come from an early human species.

    3. Re:Could be? by jd · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Well, the next question is whether these hairs are fossilized or actual. If actual, hair is remarkably good at preserving DNA. It may be possible to determine what primate the hairs belong to.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    4. Re:Could be? by interkin3tic · · Score: 1

      Wait, so someone actually RTFA... from IDLE... AND a headline on /. was wrong?!?

      I'm 3 types of confused/shocked

    5. Re:Could be? by RealErmine · · Score: 1

      hair is remarkably good at preserving DNA

      You may be thinking of hair follicles (the skin cells the hair grows from). As far as I know, hair itself does not contain DNA that can be analyzed.

      --
      Dewey, you fool! Your decimal system has played right into my hands!
    6. Re:Could be? by jd · · Score: 3, Informative

      It was discovered not long ago that hair itself contains cells, not just the follicles, and that the hair protects those cells against damage. This has been a massive boon to archaeological DNA studies, as it massively reduces contamination as well as reducing loss of information.

      The discovery was made during studies of the hair of woolly mammoth. It's a fascinating line of research and one that is under-utilized at present

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    7. Re:Could be? by DinDaddy · · Score: 1

      Retroactively mitigating a severe scientific error in the plot of Starman.

    8. Re:Could be? by dov_0 · · Score: 1

      The article is however very vaguely worded in the first half and the identification of the hair is also vaguish - 'closest to' etc.

      --
      sudo mount --milk --sugar /cup/tea /mouth /etc/init.d/relax start
  3. Dingo ate your baby by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Old school!

  4. rock hard indeed by ungybungy · · Score: 0, Troll

    you could say i'm "rock hard" right now

    1. Re:rock hard indeed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you could say i'm "rock hard" right now

      That's what in relation to the typical Slashdot reader's physique? Half a beer belly?

    2. Re:rock hard indeed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think he was talking about some other part of his anatomy.

    3. Re:rock hard indeed by torgis · · Score: 2, Funny

      Fail.

    4. Re:rock hard indeed by ptx0 · · Score: 2, Funny

      The failus?

  5. Could be?-Monkey business. by Ostracus · · Score: 1

    "The article only asserts that hairs were found with "wavy bands of scales" which suggest modern primates. Human hairs closest resemble these hairs, so it's possible that they come from an early human species."

    As opposed to some other earliest primate.

    --
    Shai Schticks:"You don't make peace with friends, you make peace with enemies"
    1. Re:Could be?-Monkey business. by Chris+Burke · · Score: 1

      As opposed to some other earliest primate.

      Yes, exactly.

      ??

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
  6. Photographic evidence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Image here.

  7. ape shit. by w0mprat · · Score: 0

    There is no direct evidence for the hair being human, it just could be. The hyena could have had any modern primate for lunch.

    --
    After logging in slashdot still does not take you back to the page you were on. It's been that way for 20 years.
    1. Re:ape shit. by Sique · · Score: 1

      No. Other primates have a different hair structure.

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      .sig: Sique *sigh*
  8. Slashdot now officially publishes ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "News for turds"

    1. Re:Slashdot now officially publishes ... by ptx0 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Shit that matters!

    2. Re:Slashdot now officially publishes ... by ZERO1ZERO · · Score: 2, Funny

      Or, indeed, shit with matter.

  9. someone has to say it by plopez · · Score: 3, Funny

    talk about a bad hair day...

    --
    putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
  10. Turd by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    FTFA:

    "Each white, round fossil turd, or coprolite, is roughly 0.8 inch (2 centimeters) across."

    When did "turd" become part of the vocabulary of National Geographic? And how are they so sure this isn't a dingleberry?

  11. Humans by HangingChad · · Score: 2, Funny

    Humans - The other white meat

    --
    That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage
    1. Re:Humans by NewbieProgrammerMan · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I wonder if it tastes like the other, other, OTHER white meat?

      --
      [b.belong('us') for b in bases if b.owner() == 'you']
    2. Re:Humans by wurble · · Score: 1

      IIRC, human muscle tissue contains myoglobin though, and thus we have red meat. Though you'd probably have to ask a cannibal to be sure. I'd tell you to ask a hyena, but they have communication issues.

    3. Re:Humans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Humans - The other white meat

      Ahh, no. This was found in Africa...

    4. Re:Humans by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Humans - The other white meat

      DINGOS et mah Baby!!!

  12. Was it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    curly? Cough! Cough!

  13. Not a Dingo? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A hyena ate my baby?!

  14. Bring on the bad.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... "waiter, there's a hair in my soup" jokes.

  15. The dingo... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ate my baby!

  16. Same Old Story by hyades1 · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Hey Ogg, I bet those guys who had the really good dope are camped in that cave in Dark Valley."

    "I think you're right, Targ. Listen...you can hear them laughing their heads off."

    "Let's go see if they'll let us have some."

    "Good plan, Ogg."

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
  17. Why is this in idle? by duffel · · Score: 1

    It's interesting and science. Just because it deals with dung doesn't mean it's toilet humor.

    Let's review:
    idle articles: Stupid people, Cow Urine, only good for a laugh
    This article: Science, National Geographic, really quite interesting.

    1. Re:Why is this in idle? by thered2001 · · Score: 1

      It needed to follow the other dung story so we'll see where Idle is headed: they'll always try to give us the straight poop.

      --

      If your only tool is a hammer, every problem becomes a nail.

  18. Oldest human hair by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Step 1: Find fossilized human hair in hyena's poop
    Step 2: Use said hair to clone a neanderthal man
    Step 3: ?????
    Step 4: Profit!

  19. Main question unanswered by Muad'Dave · · Score: 1

    They told us all about the scale pattern, how old it is, etc, but didn't answer the main question: What color was it? Did this species die out because it was blond, or was it a hot-blooded redhead? I gots to know.

    --
    Tiller's Rule: Never use a word in written form that you've only heard and never read. You will end up looking foolish.
  20. Most disappointing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I can't believe this was summarized with the cheap laugh inducing "poop" instead of the obviously aliterating "fossilized feces."

  21. My day on the savannah by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I was walking through the savannah yesterday and i had to use the bathroom. As I was walking behind a bush, out walked a sleek furry hyena. To my good fortune the hyena forgot to cover his scat, and upon closer look he appeared to have recently eaten a primate........

  22. Darwin predicted this. . . by Slicebo · · Score: 1

    . . . in his classic work "On the Origin of Feces".

  23. proof of early medicinal breakthrough! by Roadkills-R-Us · · Score: 1

    rock hard poop?

    Poop used viagra back then!