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Is this a coprolite?


fossil novice

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I found this near a construction site in northeast Kansas. It was near a pile of broken rocks that also contained lots of fossils like shells and some geodes.

BTW it is definitely rock, not mud.

 

 

 

CIMG5196.JPG

CIMG5197.JPG

CIMG5195.JPG

Edited by fossil novice
pics out of focus
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Pictures are so out of focus it will be almost impossible to id. Better pics will help someone make an id.

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53 minutes ago, fossil novice said:

sorry I didn't realise how bad they were.

No reason to apologize :D. Don't know what you did but they are very clear now. Good luck on an ID and welcome to the  forum.

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sorry I didn't realise how bad they were.

57 minutes ago, GeschWhat said:

Sorry to be a pain. These pictures are much better, but they are too small. Any chance you can take a higher resolution photo so I can zoom in and look closely at the surface?

My camera isn't very good so this is the best i can get.

CIMG5202.JPG

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I agree with Lori, it is a promising piece, i think i can see inclusions on the second photo up above with my magnifying glass, but i'm sorry to say that last one is blurry. Maybe could you take photos a little more far, with the zoom and crop them a little afterwards ?

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"On ne voit bien que par le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)

"We only well see with the heart, the essential is invisible for the eyes."

 

In memory of Doren

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Thank you. With the additional photos I was able to zoom in. I don't see any bone/scale inclusions. That doesn't mean that it is not a coprolite. Many creatures, such as crocodilians, have very efficient digestive systems. Their coprolites rarely have inclusions. There is one more quick test you can do. You can touch it to the tip of your tongue. If it sticks, I'd say it is coprolite. If it doesn't, stick, it still could be a coprolite, but there would no way to tell for sure without chemical analysis. Carnivore coprolites are primarily made up of calcium phosphate, the same mineral that is found in bone. Depending on the form it takes, it can be very porous. I only have limited knowledge of coprolites from Kansas. All of the ones that I have seen have good stickage. If you aren't brave enough to do the lick test, you can also wet your fingers and touch it to see if it feels sticky. However, IMHO, that is not nearly as much fun! :P

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