Paisley Caves early human coprolites and occupation evidence

Record summary

Research at Paisley Caves reported human coprolites and associated materials that were interpreted as evidence of people in the Great Basin before the Clovis period. Initial work emphasized radiocarbon dating and the possibility that the remains belonged to early North American inhabitants, while later studies refined the chronology and genetic identification. The site is valuable for comparing independent evidence types—coprolites, artifacts, stratigraphy, and DNA. Important uncertainties include contamination controls, associations between dated specimens and artifacts, and the changing interpretation of the cave sequence.