They were looking for human myoglobin, a protein that is found in muscle tissue.

ECONOMIST: Anthropophagy

DNA-based test to complement their myoglobin work, following the success of other groups in using gene fragments in coprolites as windows into ancient diets.

ECONOMIST: Anthropophagy

How unusual Dr Marlar discovered when he applied his biochemical assay to the coprolite and found traces of human myoglobin, which were not detected in prehistoric coprolites from other sites or in modern faecal samples.

ECONOMIST: Anthropophagy