Nevertheless, Randy Susman, a professor in the Department of Anatomical Sciences at Stony Brook University, told Discovery News that the new study "is very interesting for a number of reasons." "First of all, the hair casts left in coprolites not only represent a very early occurrence of human hair, but they also document the fact that hominins were being consumed by hyenas," explained Susman. Bernard Wood, a George Washington University anthropologist, echoed Susman's view, adding that the discovery plays out like a great mystery with surprising clues. Wood said that, "in the spirit of Cluedo (a mystery crime fiction board game), the Backwell study shows that hyenas must be taken seriously as a possible perpetrator of this 'crime.'" He added, "But instead of 'blood on their hands, they have been found guilty of having 'hair in their poop!'" Backwell hopes future technological advances may shed greater light on what the person represented by the hair looked like, what the individual's overall state of health was before the hyena incident, and more. Related Links: |
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