Poo Question

[sharko69]

Found a few chunks of coprolite at the NSR and noticed two of them have similar markings. Any idea what would have caused this?

[sharko69]

Here are the marks...

[caldigger]

Maybe they were "plopped" on some shells.

[Innocentx]

Perhaps the sharks had undigested bits of material, but these lines look almost like scrapes.  Interesting that 2 have this.

[caldigger]

Lets consult the President of Poopiness and see what her thoughts on this may be.

 Hey @GeschWhat !!!!

[Heteromorph]

Perhaps this thread could help. 

 

“I know I have seen somewhere similar marks, and you're right about the chiton grazing traces. They look similar to the marks in question.”

[Innocentx]

1 hour ago, Heteromorph said:

Perhaps this thread could help. 

 

Fantastic thread! Thanks.

[sharko69]

7 hours ago, Heteromorph said:

Perhaps this thread could help. 

 

“I know I have seen somewhere similar marks, and you're right about the chiton grazing traces. They look similar to the marks in question.”

Wow! Thank you. That is very informative. 

[ynot]

8 hours ago, Heteromorph said:

“I know I have seen somewhere similar marks, and you're right about the chiton grazing traces. They look similar to the marks in question.”

I think these are to big for chiton tooth marks.

 

[sharko69]

There are more marks on the one as well. I am adding a picture of those as well.

[Carl]

I agree that at least one looks like an impression from a shell that the coprolite landed on. It's possible the other is the same or might be some kind of inclusion. Hard to tell from the photo. Nice turds!

[sharko69]

31 minutes ago, Carl said:

I agree that at least one looks like an impression from a shell that the coprolite landed on. It's possible the other is the same or might be some kind of inclusion. Hard to tell from the photo. Nice turds!

Thanks. Found all three turds yesterday. It was a crappy day!

[GeschWhat]

OH YEAH! I vote feeding traces. The last photo clinches it. Very, very cool! 

I'm currently working on a paper on some in my collection. I have to run now, but will post a photo of something similar when I get back.

[GeschWhat]

18 hours ago, caldigger said:

Lets consult the President of Poopiness and see what her thoughts on this may be.

Awe...you can just call me Mrs. Poopiness. 

 

Okay...here's one of my poops from the London Clay (marine, Lower Eocene - Ypresian). If you look on the left side, you can a similar chomp (except mine has a gap between its teeth - and fewer teeth). This particular little beauty has about 3 or 4 different size feeding traces on it. My best guess for the larger marks is that something was feeding on something that was feeding on on something that was feeding and/or growing on the poop! NUM! I still need to do a lot more research on these, so this is just speculation on my part. In all seriousness (or as much as one can have when discussing fossilized fecal matter), many snails feed on fungi/algae. Fresh sphincter sculptures provide the perfect habitat for such growth. Isn't coprolite just the BEST?

 

[sharko69]

37 minutes ago, GeschWhat said:

Awe...you can just call me Mrs. Poopiness. 

 

Okay...here's one of my poops from the London Clay (marine, Lower Eocene - Ypresian). If you look on the left side, you can a similar chomp (except mine has a gap between its teeth - and fewer teeth). This particular little beauty has about 3 or 4 different size feeding traces on it. My best guess for the larger marks is that something was feeding on something that was feeding on on something that was feeding and/or growing on the poop! NUM! I still need to do a lot more research on these, so this is just speculation on my part. In all seriousness (or as much as one can have when discussing fossilized fecal matter), many snails feed on fungi/algae. Fresh sphincter sculptures provide the perfect habitat for such growth. Isn't coprolite just the BEST?

 

Very similar. I will take a picture tonight. There is a tube worm on the large black one. I would be curious to know if it was feeding on it or happened upon it after it fossilized.

[GeschWhat]

2 minutes ago, sharko69 said:

There is a tube worm on the large black one. I would be curious to know if it was feeding on it or happened upon it after it fossilized.

I don't know much about tube worms. Don't they form on hard surfaces? If there is one on there, I would assume it formed after fossilization. It is possible that the marks could have been made after fossilization as well. Too many questions, not enough answers!

[caldigger]

I dont know Lori, those look like marks from fork prongs. I think you had a sophisticated something eating on your stool grool.

[sharko69]

2 hours ago, GeschWhat said:

Awe...you can just call me Mrs. Poopiness. 

 

Okay...here's one of my poops from the London Clay (marine, Lower Eocene - Ypresian). If you look on the left side, you can a similar chomp (except mine has a gap between its teeth - and fewer teeth). This particular little beauty has about 3 or 4 different size feeding traces on it. My best guess for the larger marks is that something was feeding on something that was feeding on on something that was feeding and/or growing on the poop! NUM! I still need to do a lot more research on these, so this is just speculation on my part. In all seriousness (or as much as one can have when discussing fossilized fecal matter), many snails feed on fungi/algae. Fresh sphincter sculptures provide the perfect habitat for such growth. Isn't coprolite just the BEST?

 

Here is a picture with reference in cm. I also added a picture of the attached tube worm. Looks like serpula to me. Had to wet the area to get it to show up better.

[sharko69]

2 hours ago, GeschWhat said:

Awe...you can just call me Mrs. Poopiness. 

 

Okay...here's one of my poops from the London Clay (marine, Lower Eocene - Ypresian). If you look on the left side, you can a similar chomp (except mine has a gap between its teeth - and fewer teeth). This particular little beauty has about 3 or 4 different size feeding traces on it. My best guess for the larger marks is that something was feeding on something that was feeding on on something that was feeding and/or growing on the poop! NUM! I still need to do a lot more research on these, so this is just speculation on my part. In all seriousness (or as much as one can have when discussing fossilized fecal matter), many snails feed on fungi/algae. Fresh sphincter sculptures provide the perfect habitat for such growth. Isn't coprolite just the BEST?

 

Here is a picture with reference in cm. I also added a picture of the attached tube worm. Looks like serpula to me. Had to wet the area to get it to show up better.

[KimTexan]

22 hours ago, Heteromorph said:

Perhaps this thread could help. 

 

“I know I have seen somewhere similar marks, and you're right about the chiton grazing traces. They look similar to the marks in question.”

These are a couple pics of chiton feeding traces from the Austin Chalk in Garland, TX out of Rowlett Creek.

I don’t think the marks look like chiton. The one set is too deep. Also in the first closeup the marks look like there is residual embedded material, internally that could be responsible of the striations. 

[GeschWhat]

1 hour ago, caldigger said:

I dont know Lori, those look like marks from fork prongs. I think you had a sophisticated something eating on your stool grool.

I think in the ocean they refer to them as dinglehoppers - but the merpeople use them to comb their hair. You don't have to worry about getting your fingers dirty under the sea. Sorry, my daughter watched Little Mermaid way too many times when she was a young one!

[KimTexan]

Here is the residual material shot. Can you see what I’m talking about?

[GeschWhat]

5 minutes ago, KimTexan said:

Here is the residual material shot. Can you see what I’m talking about?

I do. It looks like a bone inclusion(s) in this photo. I wonder if it is the lighting. It doesn't look quite the same in the latest photos. @sharko69, any chance you have a microscope and could take some magnified images? Or even just addition photos of that area from different angels? I know some feeding traces on coprolites can appear shiny. When that happens, I kind of wonder if they were created post fossilization - kind of like discovery marks.  

[sharko69]

6 hours ago, GeschWhat said:

I do. It looks like a bone inclusion(s) in this photo. I wonder if it is the lighting. It doesn't look quite the same in the latest photos. @sharko69, any chance you have a microscope and could take some magnified images? Or even just addition photos of that area from different angels? I know some feeding traces on coprolites can appear shiny. When that happens, I kind of wonder if they were created post fossilization - kind of like discovery marks.  

I am adding a few shots of the area. Let me know if this helps. Thank you.

[GeschWhat]

Hard to say. It could be an inclusion. Perhaps that's why the phosphatic/poop material cracked off in this area. Can we see a shot of the fractured end?