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Showing results for tags 'coprolite'.
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So, I have some more finds from the Permian matrix. A few coprolites, and some teeth. Scales and bones I may put up in another post. Thanks for looking... Squares are 5mm x 5mm Orthocanthus teeth? Miscellaneous teeth ...
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Thanks to my friend @Jeffrey P ! He had given me some matrix that he collected at the Lower Permian Waurika Oklahoma site on his epic road trip this summer. I have spent some time breaking down the clay matrix, and going through the remaining bits to look for fossils. I've found a few teeth so far, but this was pretty cool. I was putting some hunks of matrix into different solutions to try to break down the clay, and came across this larger solid bit. Upon cleaning it, I realized it mus be a coprolite. It has many inclusions, Orthocanthus teeth, what appear to be bone bits, and fish scales. @Carl @GeschWhat may be interested in this. Enjoy! Matrix from the Lower Permian Wellington - Garbar Complex Note: each square on the background is 5mm by 5mm Coprolite is 2 cm long.
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Rather than writing information about coprolite identification on multiple threads, I thought I would post information about coprolite identification here so it can be referenced in ID threads (I'm getting lazy, I know). I was also thinking it might be fun for others to post coprolites in their own collections so others can use them for comparison. So here we go: IDENTIFYING COPROLITES: Not all rocks that look like poop have a fecal origin. Here are a few things to consider when trying to make this determination: 1. Location, Location, Location – If you haven’t guessed, the first and most important thing to consider is the location your rock was found. Don’t expect to find a coprolite unless you find it in geologic area/layer where other fossils are found. If you find things like bones, teeth and fish scales, or prehistoric tracks, you may just be in in luck. 2. Shape – While fecal matter can be rather freeform when exposed to the elements or when digestion issues arise, most coprolites are shaped like poo. As with modern extrusions, fossilized feces can be shaped like pellets, spirals, scrolls, logs, piles, etc. Their shape is dependent on shape of their producers intestinal and anal structure. Look for things like compaction folds and pinch marks. 3. Texture - Most coprolites are fine grained. If your specimen appears granular under magnification, it is most likely not a coprolite. There are some exceptions, such as marine creatures that feed on bottom sediments or coral. That is why knowing the location and geology of the area where it was discovered is so important. 4. Inclusions – Many times, coprolites will have visible inclusions. Things like fish scales, bone fragments, and teeth may not get fully digested, and can be visible on the surface. Some animals ingest stones for ballast or digestive purposes. These are known as gastroliths, and if present, are generally smooth. 5. Composition – Because herbivore scat tends to break a part and decompose rapidly, it rarely survives the fossilization process. So most fossil poo that is found is from carnivores. The reason for this is that their poo is usually high in calcium phosphate, the same mineral found in our bones. This mineral can appear in many forms. It can be hard and dense or soft and porous. If the potential coprolite appears soft and porous, there is a quick test that is often used in the field. If you touch to stone to the tip of your tongue and it sticks, chances are, it is high in calcium phosphate and could be a coprolite. If you are not that brave, you can also touch it with wet fingers to see if it feels sticky, but this is not nearly as fun. If the calcium phosphate takes a harder, denser form the “lick test” won’t work. In some instances, chemical analysis is required to definitively identify the mineral composition. @Carl do you have anything you want to add?
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I picked this little nugget up quite a few years ago, during my early infatuation with coprolites. All I know about it is that it was found near Price, Utah. I have siderite "formations" from around the world. This is the only one I've seen that looks like it has an inclusion (or should I say the cast of an inclusion). There has long been a debate as to whether siderite rocks such as these are coprolites, casts of voids (fecal and otherwise, or iron-rich mud extrusions (what I like to call "Earth poop"). My questions are: 1. Does anyone happen to recognize what formation this might have come from? 2. Does anyone recognize the tubular structures? The only thing that comes to mind for me are worm tubes, but I don't know if there are any marine environments represented near Price, UT. As always, thanks for your help! @Carl
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Hello all, Thanks for letting me post my inquiry. I was wondering if any of you could give your input on a large "rock" that I found in my yard. I live in Menlo Park, California which is about a mile north of Stanford University in the San Francisco Bay Area. Please excuse my ignorance when it comes to the fossil world. I have zero knowledge in this area, but i must say that after only a few days of investigating websites and forums I find it quite fascinating. And also a massive black hole lol.. I have spent all of my free time looking into the topic the past couple days. so many hours!! (not complaining, its been awesome!) Anyways I will attach pictures below. The only reason I think it is a coprolite is because of the many other "rocks" that I have also found on the property, about 20 or so, that fit many pictures I have seen on the internet. But this one doesn't really look like any of the others and is quite large, at least double the size of the others. At first glance I thought it to be chunk of a wood round, as i have found petrified wood on the property, at least what I believe to be petrified wood. When I picked it up I noticed that it was very heavy, probably 30+ pounds, so definitely not fresh wood as this is way to dense to be so. Gave it a knock and its rock hard. On most of the outside there are small flakes of something shiny, some metallicy and some more clear, some faintly yellow/green.. I dont know if its crystal or something else but they seem to be thin pieces of something, some layered on top of each other. What struck me at first was the green that was viewable in some spots. This is the reason I picked it up in the first place to investigate further. The one green spot is mostly white now actually. After I noticed the green I had a piece of sand paper handy and I gave a quick rub on the white part to see if more green was under it and there was. However a day later the green has gone back to white. Not sure if thats from oxygen exposure or possibly the abrasiveness of the sandpaper causing scratches which turned white with time. The outraged just looks really really old is the best way I can sum it up. There was a small section that was slightly sticks out and cracked a bit so I knew it would come of easy. Gave it a wack with a chisel and it popped off. I will attach pictures of that as well. I have scraped at a couple sections, trying to see what was inside, and it seems to be green and brown in most. Parts have a serpentine look to them, which was my second guess after wood. But the rock just seemed to be to "living" if that makes sense. There are vertical and horizontal cracks throughout some with some sort of white lining in them. I really want to crack it open as I think it might be quite beautiful, based on the weight and density. Anyways I could go on but I will just post some photos and hopefully you can help me out a bit, because at the end of the day I really have no clue and don't pretend to. Also, another question I have.. Is it possible to have undigested chances of reptiles/fish/eggs inside a coprolite? not this one, but many of the other pieces I have found seem to have pretty clear inclusions of things like turtles and other things. I could be crazy also, but some of the inclusions seem to have something like skin still on them, which after research i noticed could be just lichen, but its strange that the lichen would just be on the inclusion and be a believable color as well. There also appear to be many many bite marks or teeth marks on them. My understanding is that my part of California would have been under water, and wouldn't be possible for dinosaurs to leave the coprolite. And based off the inclusions in the other rocks, it would seem to be a water beast anyways, or possible a large bird, ore maybe just something that lived by water. but not sure because like I said my area was below the sea back then. It just seems so large for it to be from a sea creature and I would have thought if something pooped in the ocean. would not most of it disperse and break apart in the water before it sunk and was covered up? Again, i have no clue haha Let me know if you want to see some of the inlusion pieces or more1 photos of this one. Photo #4 shows what i thought to be skin on this one, but other pieces are more clear. But again I have no idea Thanks for your time and I hope that a least one of you can help me out a bit! Have a great day!
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From the album: New Jersey Late Cretaceous
Coprolite Wenonah Formation Late Cretaceous Monmouth County, NJ- 1 comment
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From the album: MY FOSSIL Collection - Dpaul7
The unpolished side of the coprolite!-
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Welcome to another microscopic look into the wonderful world of coprolites. Here we have a squished (flattened) spiral coprolite from the prehistoric floodplains that now form the Bull Canyon Formation in the badlands of Quay County, New Mexico. Today's mystery was most likely not ingested. Many times the posterior (non-pinched end) of spiral coprolites can be hollow. I may be wrong, but I think this branchy thing (for lack of a better term) slipped in after it was expelled. To me this looks like part of a branch from a delicate coral - but the poop was in fresh water. Any ideas?
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There has been much debate about the identity of this strange item on the forum. I finally solved the mystery thanks to the (click next) Calvert Marine Museum web site . These are a reasonably common find on the beach near Matoaka Cabins. They vary in size and shape, owing to the different species and ages of the sharks that produced them as much as the teeth shed by the same sharks. What they all seem to have in common is the black, polished surface, the generally oval shape (which can vary in proportions), and the appearance of an outer coating that splits on one side.
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From the album: North Sulphur River
8-12-17- 2 comments
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From the album: WhodamanHD's Fossil collection.
Coprolite bought at store. From Madagascar. I assume turtle.-
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From the album: North Sulphur River Texas
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The location where this was found contains both aquatic and terrestrial animals from floodplain habitat. In this coprolite, a small tooth plate impression with residual fragments can be seen on the surface. Since a similar tooth plate was not found within the coprolite itself, it is unclear whether this is an undigested prey remnant or if it was embedded upon deposition. An unidentified bone and numerous fish scale inclusions were revealed using X-ray computed tomography. This specimen was scanned in April 2016 by the University of Minnesota X-ray Computed Tomography Lab using a X5000 high resolution microCT system with a twin head 225 kV x-ray source and a Dexela area detector (3073 x 3889 pixels).
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From the album: North Sulphur River Texas
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From the album: Nigel's album
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This coprolite is from a marine creature that swam in the Jurassic seas that once covered this parts of England. The dark inclusions that can be seen on the surface are Onychites (cephalopod hooks). In April 2016, the University of Minnesota X-ray Computed Tomography Lab scanned the specimen using a X5000 high resolution microCT system with a twin head 225 kV x-ray source and a Dexela area detector (3073 x 3889 pixels). Many of the images shown here are of individual 3D elements/features within the coprolite that were separated/isolated using Blob3D. The taxonomic classification given is for the inclusions, not the coprolite. Aside from the hooks, it is hard to definitively identify the inclusions without damage to the coprolite. The following is a list of inclusions: 241 hooks of various sizes that are at least 75% intact. 200+ plate-like fragments of various sizes (likely similar to the surface nacre). 19 ellipsoidal structures, possibly forams or parasite eggs. 2 unidentified long, straight conical structures joined at wide end (A) 1 long rod-like structure with a bulbous end (B) 1 unidentified mass that looks like it was the attachment point for 5 rod-like structures (C) 1 1ong cylindrical (rod) structure that tapers in the center. The center density is much lower than the outer shell (D) 1 irregular structure that looks I originally thought might be an ink sack or buccal mass, but the size is wrong. Experta think it is more likely foraminifera (E) 1 irregular structure, possibly a statolith (F) Acknowledgements: Thank you to Neale Monks and Christian Klug for providing input.
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From the album: North Sulphur River
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From the album: North Sulphur River Texas
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From the album: North Sulphur River 160529
small coprolite with multiple fish bones and other indeterminate flecks of organics© Mitchell Moore
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From the album: North Sulphur River 160529
small coprolite with multiple fish bones and other indeterminate flecks of organics© Mitchell Moore
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From the album: Various
Coprolite, turtle, Madagascar. -
Acanthodian coprolite with Mesacanthus spines (3.4cm)
Archie posted a gallery image in Member Collections
From the album: Scottish Acanthodians
Acanthodian Coprolite Lower Devonian Dundee Formation Forfarshire 380 mya -
From the album: Scottish Lower Carboniferous (Visean) freshwater sharks
Psephodus sp.-Cross section in Rhizodont coprolite Burdiehouse limestone Lower Carboniferous, Visean Central Belt of Scotland- 4 comments
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