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GeschWhat

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Not all rocks that look like poop have a fecal origin. Here are a few things to consider when trying to determine whether or not you have a coprolite:

 

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 free-form 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 bone. 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, more dense form, the “lick test” won’t work. In some instances, chemical analysis is required to definitively identify the mineral composition.

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A kid at a school presentation asks: "How do you know its fossil poo?"

 

 

Response: "I did a lick test."

 

 

I'd pay good money to see their reaction :hearty-laugh:

 

Every single fossil you see is a miracle set in stone, and should be treated as such.

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Thanks for sharing a topic full of poo. 

 

Can a member post up some pics of real vs non-real or fakes to get a better idea of what to look for?  I have some examples that I would like to compare it too.

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Great little reference guide.

 

Imagine how much fun and enjoyment we could all have if we tried to come up with new and creative titles for Lori to use on her new box of business cards........:blink: :doh!:

 

Poopal Educator  ?

 

:shrug:

Don't know much about history

Don't know much biology

Don't know much about science books.........

Sam Cooke - (What A) Wonderful World

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3 hours ago, SailingAlongToo said:

we tried to come up with new and creative titles for Lori to use on her new box of business cards........

PhD (doctor of pheces, even gets a new spelling of “feces”:P)

Very helpful thread!

“...whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being evolved.” ~ Charles Darwin

Happy hunting,

Mason

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On 1/25/2018 at 7:41 AM, MeargleSchmeargl said:

A kid at a school presentation asks: "How do you know its fossil poo?"

 

 

Response: "I did a lick test."

 

 

I'd pay good money to see their reaction :hearty-laugh:

 

I always ask for brave volunteers at the beginning of every presentation...I let them do the lick  test so the can tell the difference between coprolites and conceptions - it’s absolutely priceless!

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2 minutes ago, GeschWhat said:

difference between coprolites and conceptions

I am still a little confused with this difference.

Could You please explain it in layman terms?:yay-smiley-1:

Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys."

Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough."

 

My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection

My favorite thread on TFF.

 

 

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23 hours ago, oldtimer said:

Thanks for sharing a topic full of poo. 

 

Can a member post up some pics of real vs non-real or fakes to get a better idea of what to look for?  I have some examples that I would like to compare it too.

I will try to post some photos later, but am currently down playing at the Tucson Gem Show - so far not a very good poo year, but it’s early :fingerscrossed:

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8 minutes ago, GeschWhat said:

am currently down playing at the Tucson Gem Show - so far not a very good poo year, but it’s early :fingerscrossed:

Troodon pictured some nice ones in His Tucson 2017 thread.

Maybe You should talk with Him.

Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys."

Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough."

 

My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection

My favorite thread on TFF.

 

 

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