DANR11 Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I discovered this in the Brule Formation in the Badlands N.P. (and no I did not take it with me) and the only diagnosis I can come up with is a coprolite. It was completely mineralized, hard as a rock. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Seems possible. I suspect it will be very difficult to prove though. Think about how many other natural processes could result in a rock with this composition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Not being familiar with the Brule Formation and assuming N.P. is an abbreviation for National Park and not knowing where this park is located, I did a quick web search. Badlands National Park in South Dakota: LINK Geology: Link Another Geology page focused on this park: Link Always helpful to know locality and geology information when posting in the ID forum Flash from the Past (Show Us Your Fossils)MAPS Fossil Show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitbat Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Coprolites are not all that uncommon in the Brule Formation (Oligocene) of the White River badlands. Most of the ones that I've seen have been more...well...'turd'-like than the one in your picture. Interestingly, most of the common coprolites are from carnivores. I've got one around here somewhere that has numerous bone fragments and an oreodont tooth in it. I guess somebody had a real feast! I guess it is possible that you've got a coprolite there but, if so, then I'd suspect it came from an herbivore rather than a carnivore. Interesting find! -Joe Illigitimati non carborundum Fruitbat's PDF Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 it almost looks like there are little serpulid worm tubes or something all through it. doesn't look like plant material, or bones, so not sure that it would be coprolite. and the exterior shape, other than being a "clump", really doesn't suggest coprolite to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 it almost looks like there are little serpulid worm tubes or something all through it. doesn't look like plant material, or bones, so not sure that it would be coprolite. and the exterior shape, other than being a "clump", really doesn't suggest coprolite to me. I agree...Just don't see obvious coprolite but an interesting conversational rock. Here's a crop and edited version I created to help these old eyes focus on features Flash from the Past (Show Us Your Fossils)MAPS Fossil Show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DANR11 Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 I don't recall seeing any bones, teeth, or animal remains in it. From looking at coprolite photos, I'd agree the shape of it doesn't resemble typical poop "morphology", though I suppose each defacation is its own unique snowflake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DANR11 Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 Coprolites are not all that uncommon in the Brule Formation (Oligocene) of the White River badlands. Most of the ones that I've seen have been more...well...'turd'-like than the one in your picture. Interestingly, most of the common coprolites are from carnivores. I've got one around here somewhere that has numerous bone fragments and an oreodont tooth in it. I guess somebody had a real feast! I guess it is possible that you've got a coprolite there but, if so, then I'd suspect it came from an herbivore rather than a carnivore. Interesting find! -Joe A little off subject- Is the skull in your profile picture from the White River badlands? It looks like it could be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fruitbat Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 (edited) DANR11...Yes...that is the skull of Miniochoerus sp. (probably M. gracile), one of the smaller oreodonts from the Brule Formation of the White River badlands. That one actually came from a private ranch in Northwestern Nebraska. It is, by far, the nicest oreodont skull I've ever collected. There is absolutely no reconstruction on that skull. There's a bigger version of that picture in my gallery here on The Fossil Forum. -Joe Edited January 5, 2012 by Fruitbat Illigitimati non carborundum Fruitbat's PDF Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plax Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 has fine structure that doesn't look like coprolite, Brule is fresh water, no? Looks like some marine fossil cluster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DANR11 Posted January 6, 2012 Author Share Posted January 6, 2012 To my knowledge the Brule was not a marine environment, but instead a savannah with mostly stream and floodplain deposits. The last time a marine type environment existed there was in the cretaceous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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