a b Grove R (1976). "Coprolite Mining in Cambridgeshire" (PDF). Agricultural History Review. 24 (1). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-03-09. By examining coprolites, paleontologists are able to find information about the diet of the animal (if bones or other food remains are present), such as whether it was a herbivore or a carnivore, and the taphonomy of the coprolites, although the producer is rarely identified unambiguously, [7] especially with more ancient examples. [8] In some instances, knowledge about the anatomy of animals' digestive tracts can be helpful in assigning a coprolite to the animal that produced it, one example being the finding that the Triassic dinosauriform Silesaurus may have been an insectivore, a suggestion which was based on the beak-like jaws of the animal and the high density of beetle remains found in associated coprolites. [9] Further, coprolites can be analyzed for certain minerals that are known to exist in trace amounts in certain species of plant that can still be detected millions of years later. [10] In rare cases, coprolites have even been found to contain well-preserved insect remains. [11] Recognizing coprolites [ edit ] 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). Coprolites are the fossilized feces of prehistoric animals (enter poop joke here!) They can be found in sedimentary deposits throughout the world, including locations all over the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe. Coprolites have been recorded in deposits ranging in age from the Cambrian period [12] to recent times and are found worldwide. Some of them are useful as index fossils, such as Favreina from the Jurassic period of Haute-Savoie in France. Goldberg P, Berna F, Macphail RI (July 2009). "Comment on "DNA from pre-Clovis human coprolites in Oregon, North America" ". Science. 325 (5937): 148, author reply 148. Bibcode: 2009Sci...325R.148G. doi: 10.1126/science.1167531. PMID 19589984.

Discover the pooptastic world of Dino and Danny, from bestselling authors Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter! This new series is the perfect introduction to the world of Danny and Dino. The poop-filled adventure is written by bestselling author duo Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter! Just like modern day animals, some prehistoric animals ingested stones for ballast or digestive purposes. These are known as gastroliths which can also be found in coprolites. If present, they generally have a smooth surface. Looking Under A Microscope This poop-filled extravaganza is brought to life by the preposterously talented illustrator Garry Parsons, and the brand new sea-shanty rhythm is perfect for reading out loud.Qvarnström, Martin; Fikáček, Martin; Vikberg Wernström, Joel; Huld, Sigrid; Beutel, Rolf G.; Arriaga-Varela, Emmanuel; Ahlberg, Per E.; Niedźwiedzki, Grzegorz (2021-08-09). "Exceptionally preserved beetles in a Triassic coprolite of putative dinosauriform origin". Current Biology. 31 (15): 3374–3381.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.05.015. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 34197727. S2CID 235691750.

Some marine deposits contain a high proportion of fecal remains. However, animal excrement is easily fragmented and destroyed, so usually has little chance of becoming fossilized.The Christmasaurus is currently being developed by The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey into an animated, feature-length movie with original songs written by Tom. Bakalar N (18 November 2005). "Dung Fossils Suggest Dinosaurs Ate Grass". National Geographic News. Archived from the original on November 24, 2005. Gilbert MT, Jenkins DL, Götherstrom A, Naveran N, Sanchez JJ, Hofreiter M, etal. (May 2008). "DNA from pre-Clovis human coprolites in Oregon, North America". Science. 320 (5877): 786–9. Bibcode: 2008Sci...320..786G. doi: 10.1126/science.1154116. PMID 18388261. S2CID 17671309. If the calcium phosphate takes a harder, more dense form, the “wet finger test” won’t work. In some instances, chemical analysis is required to definitively identify the mineral composition. What Are Coprolites?