Research news: Fossilized Feces Tell Tale of Earliest Americans

The News:
Fossilized Feces Tell Tale of Earliest Americans
All Things Considered, April 3, 2008 · Archaeologists are abuzz over the discovery of several 14,000-year-old pieces of fossilized human excrement found in Oregon.
These coprolites, as they're called by experts, are remarkable for several reasons. For one thing, they're older than most artifacts left by the earliest Americans. For another, they contain DNA, which gives scientists a rare opportunity to learn about the first people to arrive in North America.
Ancient Camp Site
Archaeologists knew about Oregon's Paisley Caves back in the late 1930s. These shallow caves were carved into a hillside by a prehistoric lake. Inside, they found animal bones, stone tools and other signs that humans camped or lived there. But in 2002, a team dug deeper and found what you might call pay dirt, says archeologist Dennis Jenkins. read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Science.