North Sulfur River Coprolites

[Titan]

Hi Friends,

A few months ago I spent a few days’ time on the North Sulfur River and I’ve added some potential coprolites to my collection and wanted to share what I’ve found so that maybe it will help someone be able to identify similar finds there. I picked up anything that I thought looked fossilized and after a few trips I had quite a bit to go through and attempt to identify. Subsequent trips I picked up less and less because I knew what to look for.

 

#1, 2, and 3 are all from the North Sulfur River – Ozan formation. #1 was found in the redzone, while #2 and #3 were found loose in the river bed.

 

I'll start with #1 then add the other two in subsequent posts.

 

#1: Top view

 

#1: Bottom view:

 

This one seemed highly likely to me and has white matrix around lots of black fossilized material contained in the redzone matrix. I happened to tap it after removing it from the surrounding matrix as it seemed like a concretion and found a small tooth inside (orange arrow).

 

 

I decided to prep it out and find out what else I could discover within. After a few hours picking away through the 'poop' like matrix I had found

a vertebra and parts of a shell as well as a considerable amount of unidentifiable fossilized matter. I think I was right about this one.

 

#1: Identifiable finds. Left to right: Tooth, most likely fish., Vertebra, two gastropod shell fragments. Scale marks in mm.

#2: Seems likely to me, but not sure. It could just be the remains of a fish or something and not necessarily a coprolite. 

Top view:

Bottom View:

 

More to follow...

 

[Titan]

Here's #2 side view:

and the other side:

 

#2 Vertebra:

 

#2 Vertebra again:

 

Last one:

 

#3: I thought this might be a coprolite due to the size and shape and black matter poking through. I looked at it under my microscope and tried exposing some of the black matter with my pin vice, but it was way to hard. I decided to break it open to see what it was.

 

 

 

 

 

[Titan]

Turns out it was a flint nodule:

 

Last one

[Monica]

Lori @GeschWhat might be able to help with your possible coprolites 

[Ruger9a]

Wow!  #2 looks like a very nice find.  I think Lori will be happy to see it.

[GeschWhat]

Oh, WOW! I'm not sure about #1 or #3, but #2 is definitely fossilized number 2. It is a real beaut! It is hard to tell from the photos whether the other two are matrix with inclusions or coprolites. I don't know what the matrix looks like in your area. Congratulations! 

 

Thanks for the tag @Monica. I don't usually have time to checkout the fossil hunting trips. 

 

[Titan]

@Ruger9a thanks!

 

@GeschWhat Thank you for the kind words and for your knowledge!