14 DAY TRIAL // Thousands of years ago, hyenas living in South Africa ate humans. Hence the fact that several human hairs have recently been found in fossilized poop left behind by these animals.
Researchers say that, based on this evidence alone, they cannot determine whether ancient hyenas actually hunted humans, or if they merely fed on dead bodies they chanced to stumble upon.
The fossilized poop from which the hairs were extracted were found in Gladysvale cave, Daily Mail reports. Investigations have revealed that they are roughly 257,000 years old.
Researchers have managed to extract a total of 48 hairs from 12 different samples and say that, although some of them do come from hominins, the majority come from herbivores.
While some might frown at the idea of spending their days sorting and analyzing ancient hyena poop, scientists say that the information they gather in this manner helps them better understand what ecosystems in South Africa looked like thousands of years ago.