Crowsfold Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 First poster and fresh account here, so hopefully I've done everything up to code! Found this while at the beach in washington. Thought it might be dinosaur poo, so brought it back. Though i'd love to be sure of what it is, if anything. It does seem to be a bit tacky when licked, but...cant say I've ever licked dino poo before so can't be certain what i'm licking for hah. Pictures had to be shrunk to all fit, then compiled them to compact further, so hopefully details still show. Front Side Back Side Side One (with ruler) Side Two (with ruler) Front Side In Sun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossildude19 Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 Welcome to the Forum. I wish all newcomers would take such great photos! Very coprolite looking to me, but lets call in some experts! @GeschWhat @Boesse @Al Dente @MarcoSr Tim - VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER VFOTM --- APRIL - 2015 __________________________________________________ "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir ~ ~ ~ ~ ><))))( *> About Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crowsfold Posted April 29, 2019 Author Share Posted April 29, 2019 Thank you for the warm welcome! And I love taking photos in as much detail as possible, haha. Now that it's dried completely, it does have a few smooth shiny patches mixed in if that changes the diagnosis. Can almost see some of it in the sun picture at the bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockwood Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 Looks suspiciously like coal slag/clinker to me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixgill pete Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 Interesting. This is rather coprolite looking. Wondering if you see any inclusions in it? I don't think it is dinosaur, if it is poo since you said you found it on a beach in Washington. Which I am assuming you mean the State note DC. I also want to Express the same sentiment as @Fossildude19 about your pictures. Good photos are extremely important. 1 Bulldozers and dirt Bulldozers and dirt behind the trailer, my desert Them red clay piles are heaven on earth I get my rocks off, bulldozers and dirt Patterson Hood; Drive-By Truckers May 2016 May 2012 Aug 2013, May 2016, Apr 2020 Oct 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 I'm in the possible coprolite camp. I would need to see much closer pictures. Not all coprolites have visible inclusions. Fish coprolites usually have fish bone/scales pieces visible. Terrestrial carnivore coprolites can have bone, sometimes hair, pieces visible. Croc's have very strong stomach acid which completely dissolves all bone. However the acid doesn't completely dissolve hair or feathers. Looking at the features of your specimen it could be from a marine carnivore like a croc or a terrestrial carnivore. Usually when coprolites fossilize in a formation you find a number of them. I'd be on the lookout for more at the beach. Marco Sr. 1 "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FossilDAWG Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 @Carl and @GeschWhat may be able to offer an opinion. Don 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 I'm thinking not coprolite. The bubbles and the sheen suggest something artificial and "a bit tacky when licked" certainly moves me away from coprolite. What happens when you touch a flame to it? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crowsfold Posted April 29, 2019 Author Share Posted April 29, 2019 So much great help already! Whatever it ends up being i'm thankful you guys will help figure it out. I was under the assumption that coprolite were sticky/tacky when licked, but again not sure what exactly i'd be licking for. Washington state, not dc. There are some bits of "things" and specks, but could be sand for all I know. I just gave it a rinse for mud/loose sand, not a scrub, since i'm not sure what it is and didn't want to risk damaging it or removing important pieces. I did put a flame to it and no reaction, color change, ect besides becoming warm in that area and holding the heat for a short while. Here's a set of as close as I could get before the camera decided I was just asking too much from it, haha. Again had to resize a touch, and sharpen it the smallest of bit to display the details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 I agree with a piece of slag. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crowsfold Posted April 29, 2019 Author Share Posted April 29, 2019 So the consensus seems to be that it's coal slag? Albeit a very convincing piece of slag. Was hopeful for my first dinosaur-related find but either way it's definitely being added to the shelf of odd finds! Thank you for all your guy's/girl's expertise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnBrewer Posted April 29, 2019 Share Posted April 29, 2019 Certainly a great talking piece! John Map of UK fossil sites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Posted April 30, 2019 Share Posted April 30, 2019 Still not sure what it is but the close ups move me father away from coprolite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abyssunder Posted May 1, 2019 Share Posted May 1, 2019 I don't think is a coprolite, especially if it was found in Washington state. I would go with the "something else". " We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. " Thomas Mann My Library Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcoSr Posted May 2, 2019 Share Posted May 2, 2019 Seeing the closeup pictures, I don't think that this specimen is a coprolite. Marco Sr. "Any day that you can fossil hunt is a great day." My family fossil website Some Of My Shark, Ray, Fish And Other Micros My Extant Shark Jaw Collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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