Oldest Human Hair Discovered In Fossilized Poop 50

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday February 11, 2009 @05:54PM 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."

Oldest Human Hair Discovered In Fossilized Poop

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Multiple discoveries! (Score:5, Funny)

by Chris Burke ( 6130 ) writes: on Wednesday February 11, 2009 @05:57PM (#26820407) Homepage

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

- Re:Multiple discoveries! (Score:5, Funny)
  
  by rubycodez ( 864176 ) writes: on Wednesday February 11, 2009 @07:01PM (#26821117)
  
  oldest human in turd form, besting Dick Cheney's record!
  
  - Re: (Score:1)
    
    by Philip K Dickhead ( 906971 ) writes:
    
    Bah. That Hyena is a Dinosaur - but the Darwinist unbelievers are covering this up!
    - Re: (Score:2)
      
      by buswolley ( 591500 ) writes:
      
      This article is nothing more than a contest for the most hilarious.
      Let it commence then...
- Re: (Score:1)
  
  by mhaskell ( 658865 ) writes:
  
  Oldest known human hair. Oldest known person eaten by a hyena!
  I guess you really can have a wild hair up your ass.
Could be? (Score:1, Insightful)

by dov_0 ( 1438253 ) writes:

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.
- Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
  
  by John Hasler ( 414242 ) writes:
  
  > Isn't this just speculation?
  Probably not. The microscopic structure of the hair of a given species is unique.
  - Re: (Score:1)
    
    by dov_0 ( 1438253 ) writes:
    
    The article is however very vaguely worded in the first half and the identification of the hair is also vaguish - 'closest to' etc.
- Re:Could be? (Score:5, Informative)
  
  by Dr. Hellno ( 1159307 ) writes: on Wednesday February 11, 2009 @06:08PM (#26820553)
  
  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.
  
  - Could be?-Monkey business. (Score:2)
    
    by Ostracus ( 1354233 ) writes:
    
    "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.
    - Re: (Score:2)
      
      by Chris Burke ( 6130 ) writes:
      
      As opposed to some other earliest primate.
      Yes, exactly.
      ??
  - Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
    
    by jd ( 1658 ) writes:
    
    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.
    - Re: (Score:2)
      
      by RealErmine ( 621439 ) writes:
      
      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.
      - Re:Could be? (Score:4, Informative)
        
        by jd ( 1658 ) writes: <imipakNO@SPAMyahoo.com> on Wednesday February 11, 2009 @09:59PM (#26822715) Homepage Journal
        
        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 [sciencedaily.com]. It's a fascinating line of research and one that is under-utilized at present
        
        
        Re: (Score:1)
        
        by DinDaddy ( 1168147 ) writes:
        
        Retroactively mitigating a severe scientific error in the plot of Starman.
  - Re: (Score:1)
    
    by interkin3tic ( 1469267 ) writes:
    
    Wait, so someone actually RTFA... from IDLE... AND a headline on /. was wrong?!?
    I'm 3 types of confused/shocked
- - - Re: (Score:2, Funny)
      
      by torgis ( 840592 ) writes:
      
      Fail.
      - Re: (Score:2, Funny)
        
        by ptx0 ( 1471517 ) writes:
        
        The failus?
Photographic evidence (Score:1, Funny)

by Anonymous Coward writes:

Image here. [bbc.co.uk]
ape shit. (Score:1)

by w0mprat ( 1317953 ) writes:

There is no direct evidence for the hair being human, it just could be. The hyena could have had any modern primate for lunch.
- Re: (Score:2)
  
  by Sique ( 173459 ) writes:
  
  No. Other primates have a different hair structure.
- Re:Slashdot now officially publishes ... (Score:5, Funny)
  
  by ptx0 ( 1471517 ) writes: on Wednesday February 11, 2009 @07:09PM (#26821187)
  
  Shit that matters!
  
  - Re: (Score:2, Funny)
    
    by ZERO1ZERO ( 948669 ) writes:
    
    Or, indeed, shit with matter.
someone has to say it (Score:4, Funny)

by plopez ( 54068 ) writes: on Wednesday February 11, 2009 @07:13PM (#26821217) Journal

talk about a bad hair day...

Humans (Score:3, Funny)

by HangingChad ( 677530 ) writes: on Wednesday February 11, 2009 @08:36PM (#26822041) Homepage

Humans - The other white meat

- Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
  
  by NewbieProgrammerMan ( 558327 ) writes:
  
  I wonder if it tastes like the other, other, OTHER white meat? [thottbot.com]
- Re: (Score:1)
  
  by wurble ( 1430179 ) writes:
  
  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.
Was it... (Score:1, Insightful)

by Anonymous Coward writes:

curly? Cough! Cough!
Same Old Story (Score:4, Funny)

by hyades1 ( 1149581 ) writes: <hyades1@hotmail.com> on Thursday February 12, 2009 @03:21AM (#26824507)

"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."

Why is this in idle? (Score:2)

by duffel ( 779835 ) writes:

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.
- Re: (Score:2)
  
  by thered2001 ( 1257950 ) writes:
  
  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.
Main question unanswered (Score:2)

by Muad'Dave ( 255648 ) writes:

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.
Darwin predicted this. . . (Score:1)

by Slicebo ( 221580 ) writes:

. . . in his classic work "On the Origin of Feces".
proof of early medicinal breakthrough! (Score:2)

by Roadkills-R-Us ( 122219 ) writes:

rock hard poop?
Poop used viagra back then!

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Oldest Human Hair Discovered In Fossilized Poop 50

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Oldest Human Hair Discovered In Fossilized Poop

Multiple discoveries! (Score:5, Funny)

Re:Multiple discoveries! (Score:5, Funny)

Re: (Score:1)

Re: (Score:2)

Re: (Score:1)

Could be? (Score:1, Insightful)

Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

Re: (Score:1)

Re:Could be? (Score:5, Informative)

Could be?-Monkey business. (Score:2)

Re: (Score:2)

Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

Re: (Score:2)

Re:Could be? (Score:4, Informative)

Re: (Score:1)

Re: (Score:1)

Re: (Score:2, Funny)

Re: (Score:2, Funny)

Photographic evidence (Score:1, Funny)

ape shit. (Score:1)

Re: (Score:2)

Re:Slashdot now officially publishes ... (Score:5, Funny)

Re: (Score:2, Funny)

someone has to say it (Score:4, Funny)

Humans (Score:3, Funny)

Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

Re: (Score:1)

Was it... (Score:1, Insightful)

Same Old Story (Score:4, Funny)

Why is this in idle? (Score:2)

Re: (Score:2)

Main question unanswered (Score:2)

Darwin predicted this. . . (Score:1)

proof of early medicinal breakthrough! (Score:2)

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