The Incas' downfall, interpreted via poop

Though they left few written records and began to disappear in the 15th century, scientists have found an unlikely new way to chart the downfall of the once-mighty Incas: by studying the mites which thrived in their llamas' dung. Turns out the mites, fossilized in mud cores, can reveal details about animal-based societies' size, patterns of movement and -- when the mites disappear suddenly, as they did in once Incan-only areas after Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 1400s -- a society's collapse. Researchers hope to use their new dung-reading skills to learn more about the animal-loving Vikings' occupation of Greenland, among other upcoming projects. (Pictured above: a fossilized mite, courtesy the BBC.)