Ancient poop from Mexico's 'Cave of the Dead Children' teems with parasites

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. It's a really big deal when fossilized feces survive the ravages of time. These hardened pieces of excrement open up a window into what animals ate thousands of years ago and even what may have made them sick . Humans are not exempt from this, with dried human feces indicating we have always loved cheese and beer and that our microbiome has evolved over thousands of years. DNA recovered from 1,000-year-old dried feces indicates that intestinal infections from pinworm or Shingella may have plagued ancient people living in present day northern Mexico's Rio Zape Valley.