Reference Documents

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Human Coprolites Reveal Diet

Our climate in Los Osos is not conducive to leaving a fossilized record of what we humans ate, processed and pooped, either at present, or from thousands of years ago. While we have the wind needed to bury and dry such products in the sand, it is far a too moist a wind, as evidenced by the trailing mosses and lichens decorating our native oak trees.

Today's Tribune features an article on a retired Cal Poly biology professor studying the petrified poop of two different cultures on Puerto Rico's Vieques Island from 5 AD to 1170 AD. It is a fascinating read and you will find it off this link, along with a picture of said fossilized poop with a measuring device!

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2015/01/09/3434945_raul-cano-cal-poly-puerto-rico.html?sp=/99/100/&rh=1

Oh, that such a record could be pulled from the sands of Los Osos long after we are gone! Think of the value in the history of consumption of Carlock's cookies and organic kale that will be lost to future scientists! And should that record be somehow preserved in our magic sand for future sociologists, (or entombed, in forgotten septic "caskets"), no one will be able to tell from the fecal fossils which side of the sewer controversy that anyone was on. Food for thought readers, food for thought.

PS—If you are needing a visual of just what we are talking about here, click on this link: coprolite

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