WASHINGTON: Scientists are using an unusual resource to investigate ancient climates-prehistoric animal urine.

Researchers from the University of Leicester are using rock hyrax, a common species in countries such as Namibia and Botswana for the study.

Hyraxes look like large guinea pigs but are actually related to the elephant. They use specific locations as communal toilets, some of which have been used by generations of animals for thousands of years.

The urine crystallises and builds up in stratified accumulations known as 'middens', providing a previously untapped resource for studying long-term climate change.

"In order to study past environmental changes scientists typically acquire samples from deposits laid down in bogs or lakes, within which organic matter, which can be dated is preserved," explained Andrew Carr of the University of Leicester's.

"But in dryland environments such as southern Africa this isn't possible. Fortunately it seems that hyrax urine preserves organic matter over timescales of tens of thousands of years, which provides remarkable insights into past environmental changes within the hyrax habitat," said Carr.

The middens form extremely tough deposits, which have to then be cut from the rocks with an angle grinder.

Read more: Ancient animal urine offers insight into climate change - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/wild-wacky/Ancient-animal-urine-offers-insight-into-climate-change/articleshow/6741065.cms#ixzz12Eg4QcBE