Oldest Human Hair found in Fossilized Hyena Dung

Oldest Human Hair Found In Fossilized Hyena Dung
Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News


Feb. 10, 2009 -- Hairs that likely belonged to humans living 195,000 to 257,000 years ago in Africa have been identified in fossilized brown hyena dung, according to a new study that describes the first non-bony material in the early human fossil record.

Until now, the oldest known human hairs were from a 9,000-year-old Chinchorro mummy from Arica, northern Chile. This latest discovery, made at Gladysvale cave, South Africa, exceeds the mummy's age by about 200,000 years.

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