KnowraCoproliteCoproliteA coprolite is fossilized feces. Its preserved contents can reveal an animal’s diet, parasites, and surroundings.BriefConnectPermineralization: A fossilization process in which minerals fill pores in buried remains. Mineral-rich water can preserve fecal structure and contents.Paleocoprology: The study of fossilized feces and the biological evidence they preserve. This field uses coprolites to reconstruct ancient diets and ecosystems.Mazon Creek fossil beds: A Carboniferous fossil deposit in Illinois known for exceptionally preserved plants and animals. Its fossils include coprolites that document ancient feeding relationships.Fecal pellet: A small, discrete unit of animal excrement, often produced by invertebrates. Fossil fecal pellets are usually distinguished from larger coprolites by size and form.Phosphatization: Fossil preservation through the formation or accumulation of phosphate minerals. Phosphate-rich conditions can rapidly preserve soft fecal material.Paleodiet: The foods consumed by an organism in the past, inferred from biological or archaeological evidence. Undigested remains in coprolites can identify consumed plants and animals.Lloyds Bank coprolite: A large human coprolite discovered at the Viking-age site of Lloyds Bank in York, England. Its contents provided evidence about diet and intestinal parasites in Viking-age York.Regurgitalite: A fossilized mass of material expelled from an animal’s mouth, such as an owl pellet. It records regurgitation rather than material passed through the digestive tract.Diagenesis: Physical and chemical changes that sediments undergo after deposition and during lithification. Post-depositional changes turn feces into durable fossils.Palynology: The study of pollen, spores, and other organic-walled microscopic particles. Pollen and spores in coprolites can indicate foods and local vegetation.Show all 22Linked from 6 pagesFecesBroader topic: Ancient feces can preserve evidence about past diets, parasites, and ecosystems.Mary AnningRelated: Anning recognized these objects as fossilized feces and helped establish their scientific significance.Dinosaur dentitionRelated: Fossilized meals offer an independent check on dietary clues from teeth.Ground slothRelated: Ground sloth coprolites preserve plant remains that identify foods they consumed.Show all 6