Oldest Human DNA Found in the Americas

In an Oregon cave, scientists have found some really old s@!t
By Dawn Stover Posted 04.04.2008 at 11:15 am 4 Comments
The poop on early Americans: Archaeologist Dennis Jenkins holds a piece of dried human feces dated to 14,300 years ago. Photo by University of Oregon

Native Americans living in Oregon thousands of years ago did what came naturally before the advent of flush toilets (or the state of Oregon): They relieved themselves in a lakeside cave. Thanks to them, scientists now have samples of the oldest human DNA ever found in the New World.

The ancient coprolites (dried excrement) left behind by these early Americans remained in place until 2002, when University of Oregon archaeologist Dennis Jenkins and colleagues began finding them during summer field work at Oregon's Paisley Caves. A team at Denmark's Centre for Ancient Genetics has since studied the coprolites, and today published its analysis of DNA recovered from six of the specimens.

Radiocarbon dating done on the coprolites found that some of them date back as far as 14,300 years ago. That is 1,200 years older than the Clovis culture, long associated with the earliest Americans. Other sites believed to represent pre-Clovis habitation have been investigated, but intact human DNA has never been recovered from any of them.

If the radiocarbon and DNA evidence hold up during additional testing now being done at other labs, says Jenkins, "then we have broken the Clovis sound barrier, if you will."

In addition to human DNA, the scientists also found DNA similar to that of a coyote or wolf in the coprolites. That could mean that the early Americans ate such an animal...or that the animal left a calling card of its own.

4 Comments

Comments

usernamelevi13
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 04/04/08 at 1:47 pm

and as history continues we find more and more answers. we write our story as we go :) and just more proof against faithers..... i wish all the religious people could get with the program and join the rest of us in the 21st century....

1 out of 4 people found this comment helpful
kempstep
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 04/04/08 at 3:11 pm

Okay, so here we have a perfectly tame article about something scientific, then someone has to go and make it all about religion.

Well, I just happen to be a scientist... and a devout Christian. Oh My!! Stop the press!! Can it be true!!?? For your information, there are more of us than you might think. I once heard a statistic that something along the lines of 90% of the sceintists in America said they believe in Jesus Christ. That seems a bit high to me, but to be honest, of all the scientists I've met, only one wasn't, and she was Muslim --Oh no, another religious person, watch out!

So, without getting into how God and science can and do coexist, or any other science and religion topic, just let us read our articles without ruining it please. Lets try to stick to the original topic here, preferrably without the unnecessary and uncalled for bigotry.

Have a great day!

2 out of 2 people found this comment helpful
dave21
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 04/04/08 at 4:09 pm

You could not be more right Kempstep.

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majin davito

from Belcourt, North Dakota

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 04/04/08 at 7:47 pm

"A mans ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education and social ties; no religious basis is necessary. Man wuold indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death." By Albert Einstien And so happen I am Christain as well but you have to say the man makes alot of sense on our dense society.

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