Coprolite
A coprolite is fossilized faeces. Coprolites are trace fossils, not body fossils. They give evidence of the animal's behaviour (in this case, its diet).[1]
The name is taken from the Greek words κόπρος (kopros, meaning "dung") and λίθος (lithos, meaning "stone"). They were first described by William Buckland in 1829.
Coprolite Media
A large coprolite of a carnivorous dinosaur found in Harding County, South Dakota, US
A large Miocene coprolite from South Carolina, US
Coprolites found on the Blahnita riverbed, Romania, showing a seed inclusion (right specimen)
A large coprolite from South Carolina, US
Age: White River Oligocene; Location: Northwest Nebraska; Dimensions: Varies (25 mm × 20 mm); Weight: 8-10 g; Features: Many small inclusions and one has a complete toe bone from a small deer called a leptomeryx.
A Miocene pseudocoprolite from Washington state. They are commonly mistaken for coprolites because of their appearance and shape; they are actually of inorganic origin. Scale in mm. See Spencer (1993).
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References
- ↑ "coprolite". Dictionary.com.
