Rock Hyrax Urine Helps Track Climate Change History

A team of researchers is analyzing layers of urine deposited by rock hyrax to trace past climate changes in South Africa.

Rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) are small, guinea pig-sized animals commonly found in rocks and crags throughout Africa and Asia. They urinate in the same spot every day, creating layer after layer for long periods. Each layer has leaves, pollen, charcoal and gas bubbles that can be tested and dated. Researchers believe that the urine of rock hyrax might help in providing a clear history of climate that prevailed in South Africa.

They have already found one nest with a urine layer that could be traced back to 50,000 years ago. "Once we have found a good layer of solid urine, we dig out samples and remove them for study. We are taking the piss, quite literally - and it is proving to be a highly effective way to study how climate changes have affected local environments," project leader Brian Chase of Montpelier University in France told the Guardian.

The research team involved in the HYRAX project is trying to find how the climate has changed in South Africa over the last thousands of years. So far, researchers have found evidence to explain what happened to the region as the glaciers melted in Europe after the last ice age.

As the glaciers melted, they formed pools of cold water that were blocked by mountains in Europe. Eventually, when the barriers broke, it allowed huge amounts of cold water to drain into the Northern Atlantic. The sudden infusion of fresh water into the salty sea destabilized the temperature and salinity that drive the Atlantic Ocean currents and the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream which brings warm water to northern Europe was temporarily stopped, causing an instant cooling in northern Europe.

However, the impact of the event on the rest of the world was not known. By analyzing rock hyrax urine from the period, this new study suggests that South Africa was cooled as well, and presumably the rest of the planet too at that time, reports Wired news website.

With the increase in global temperatures, researchers hope this study will help in building models to predict what might happen to climate in the future.

The findings of the study were reported by Chase at the American Association for the Advancement of Science's annual meeting in Boston.