Monica TrompDunedin researchers have used 3000-year-old teeth to solve an ancient banana mystery linked to the last part of the planet to be settled by humans. "It’s quite exciting," Dr Tromp said. She used a microscope to look for microparticles in the plaque, scraped from the teeth of 32 skeletons. At Teouma, lime-rich graves have preserved the plaque and archaeological materials often destroyed elsewhere by hot and humid climates. Among the article’s co-authors were Profs Elizabeth Matisoo-Smith and Hallie Buckley, and Dr Rebecca Kinaston, also of the department.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 24, 2020 15:45 UTC