Dean writes: >As for my experimenting with eating raw grains and beans and reporting the >results: Doctor Cordain, I am inspired by your suggestion, and in the >interests of science am starting immediately. I will be saving all my >post-prandially produced materials for the next two weeks in tightly >sealed thermos containers. However, I suspect I would lack sufficient >objectivity in the area of gas spectrum analysis; after all, like most >people, I am quite convinced that my natural output has no particularly >redolent effluvium. Knowing your own keen interest in this subject >area, I will dispatch my un-fossilized coprolite on a daily basis to the >Colorado State University for your (I am sure) assiduous and fully objective >evaluation. Perhaps we can then co-publish a paper on the results. Although I have had a singular experience with this kind of work (Cordain L. et al. The effects of an aerobic running program on bowel transit time. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 1986;26:101-04) , I will forego Dean's generous offer for analysis of his un-fossilized specimens and suggest that he submit the evidence to Dr. Kristin Sobolik at Texas A&M, who is generally considered to be the -Dean- of coprolite analysis. Although we are having a good laugh with this topic, it is indeed a valuable source of evidence for prehistoric diets and should be considered a serious topic. I refer our subscribers to: Sobolik KD. Direct evidence for the importance of small animals to prehistoric diets: A review of coprolite studies. North Am Archaeologist 1993 14: 227-44. Dr Sobolik has a Web page and perhaps Dean could convince her to join this august group!