According to Nautilus, paleontologists are mining an unexpected archive of Ice Age history: preserved squirrel droppings. These frozen coprolites are goldmines for scientists reconstructing ancient ecosystems. By analyzing what these rodents ate—seeds, plants, insects—researchers can deduce what the landscape looked like, how the climate worked, and how animals adapted during the last ice age. It's a reminder that the smallest clues, left in the most unexpected places, tell some of the biggest stories about our planet's past.

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