Great South Gems & Minerals

• Coprolite Fossil dung •
(Madagascar)

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• Coprolite Fossil dung •
(Madagascar)

fossilized animal dung - fir cones - bezoar stones - Coprolite Fossil dung

Fossilized dinosaur area animal dung. Possibly from a large species of turtle or lizard. A coprolite is fossilized animal dung. Coprolites are classified as trace fossils as opposed to body fossils, as they give evidence for the animal's behaviour (in this case, diet) rather than morphology. The name is derived from the Greek words / kopros meaning 'dung' and / lithos meaning 'stone'. They were first described by William Buckland in 1829. Prior to this the were known as "fossil fir cones" and "bezoar stones." They serve a valuable purpose in paleontology because they provide direct evidence of the predation and diet of extinct organisms. Coprolites may range in size from a few millimetres to over 60 centimetres.

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Most coprolites are composed chiefly of calcium phosphate, along with minor quantities of organic matter. By analyzing coprolites, it is possible to infer the diet of the animal which produced them.

Coprolites have been recorded in deposits ranging in age from the Cambrian period to recent times and are found worldwide.

Read Ray's article on how animal dung turns to stone.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprolite

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