Abstract
We report the first measurement of strange ([Formula presented]) and antistrange ([Formula presented]) baryon production from [Formula presented] [Formula presented] collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). Rapidity density and transverse mass distributions at midrapidity are presented as a function of centrality. The yield of [Formula presented] and [Formula presented] hyperons is found to be approximately proportional to the number of negative hadrons. The production of [Formula presented] hyperons relative to negative hadrons increases very rapidly with transverse momentum. The magnitude of the increase cannot be described by existing hadronic string fragmentation models alone.