On Oct. 11, 2024, a team of researchers from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign announced DNA analysis of the 19th century “man-eating lions of Tsavo” revealed a diverse, but macabre diet that included oryx, wildebeest, zebras and humans.

Previous analyses of nuclear DNA (nDNA) from hair relied on intact and undegraded follicular cells and their associated DNA. However, advancements in molecular methodologies now allow for DNA analyses from hair shafts without intact follicles. Both Tsavo lions exhibit dental injuries, with partially broken canine teeth exposing cavities in which prey hair accumulated. The study results were published in Current Biology