A coprolite of a carnivorous dinosaur found in southwestern Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan (səˈskætʃəwən) is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of 588276

A Coprolite is the fossil that results when human or animal dung is fossilized. FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system. They are classified as trace fossils as opposed to body fossils, as they give evidence for the animal's behaviour (in this case, diet) rather than morphology. Trace fossils, also called ichnofossils (ˈɪknoʊfɒsɨl ιχνος or ikhnos meaning "trace" or "track" are geological records of biological The name is derived from the Greek words κοπρος/kopros meaning 'dung' and λιθος/lithos meaning 'stone'. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c They were first described by William Buckland in 1829. The Very Rev Dr William Buckland DD ( Axminster, 12 March, 1784 – Islip, 14 August, 1856) was an English They serve a valuable purpose in paleontology because they provide direct evidence of the predation and diet of extinct organisms. Palaeontology redirects here For the Scientific journal, see Palaeontology (journal. ^[1] Coprolites may range in size from a few millimetres to over 60 centimetres.

Research value

By examining coprolites, paleontologists are able to find information about the diet of the animal (if bones or other food remains are present), such as whether or not it was a herbivore, and the taphonomy of the coprolites, although the producer is rarely indentified unambiguously, especially with more ancient examples. Palaeontology redirects here For the Scientific journal, see Palaeontology (journal. Taphonomy is the study of a decaying Organism over time The term taphonomy (from the Greek taphos - τάφος meaning burial and nomos - ^[2] In one example these fossils can be analyzed for certain minerals that are known to exist in trace amounts in certain species of plant that can still be detected millions of years later. ^[3] In another example, the existence of human proteins in coprolites can be used to pinpoint the existence of cannibalistic behavior in an ancient culture. ^[4]

Recognizing coprolites

The recognition of coprolites is aided by their structural patterns, such as spiral or annular markings, by their content, such as undigested food fragments and by associated fossil remains. The smallest coprolites are often difficult to distinguish from inorganic pellets or from eggs. Most coprolites are composed chiefly of calcium phosphate, along with minor quantities of organic matter. By analyzing coprolites, it can, in some cases, be possible to determine the diet of the animal which produced them.

Coprolites have been recorded in deposits ranging in age from the Cambrian period to recent times and are found worldwide. The Cambrian is a geologic period and system that began about Ma (million years ago at the end of the Proterozoic eon and ended about Ma with Some of them are useful as index fossils, such as Favreina from the Jurassic period of Haute-Savoie in France. Index fossils (also known as guide fossils or zone fossils are Fossils used to define and identify geologic periods (or faunal stages The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Ma (million years ago to  Ma that is from the end of the Triassic to the beginning Haute-Savoie ( Arpitan: Savouè d’Amont / Hiôta-Savouè) is a French department, named for its location in This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

Some marine deposits contain a high proportion of fecal remains. However, animal excrement is easily fragmented and destroyed, so usually has little chance of becoming fossilized.

Coprolite mining

In 19th century England, coprolites were mined on an industrial scale for use as fertiliser due to their high phosphate content. Fertilizers ( also spelt fertiliser are chemical compounds given to Plants to promote growth they are usually applied either through the soil for uptake by plant A phosphate, an Inorganic chemical, is a salt of Phosphoric acid. The extraction occurred over the east of England, centered around Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely ^{[5] [6]} with its refining being carried out in Ipswich by the Fison Company. History Cambridgeshire is noted as the site of some of the earliest known Neolithic permanent settlement in the United Kingdom, along with sites at Fengate The Isle of Ely is a historic region around the city of Ely now in Cambridgeshire, England but previously a county in its own right Ipswich ( ˈɪpswɪtʃ is a Non-metropolitan district and the County town of Suffolk, England on the Estuary of the River Orwell ^[7] Today, there is a Coprolite Street near Ipswich Docks where the Fisons works once stood. ^[8] The industry declined in the 1880s ^{[9] [10]} but was revived briefly during the First World War to provide phosphates for munitions. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All ^[11]

See also

• Regurgitalith
• Gastrolith
• Fossil
• Fossils and the geological timescale
• Lloyds Bank coprolite

References

1. ^ coprolites - Definitions from Dictionary.com. Regurgitaliths are the Fossilised remains of stomach contents that have been regurgitated by an animal Gastroliths (' Stomach stones' or ' Gizzard stones' are rocks, which are or have been held inside the digestive tract of an animal FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system. The geologic time scale is a chronologic schema (or idealized Model) relating Stratigraphy to time that is used by Geologists and other The Lloyds Bank coprolite is a large human Coprolite, or fossilized dung specimen recovered by Archaeologists excavating the Viking settlement of
2. ^ The Wonders of Dinosaur Dung - Sepia Mutiny.
3. ^ Dung Fossils Suggest Dinosaurs Ate Grass.
4. ^ Ancient Site Holds Cannibalism Clues: Science News Online, September 9, 2000. Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.
5. ^ Coprolite Mining in Cambridgeshire.
6. ^ Cambridgeshire - The Coprolite Mining Industry.
7. ^ Coprolite Mining in Cambridgeshire.
8. ^ Coprolite Street.
9. ^ Cambridgeshire - The Coprolite Mining Industry.
10. ^ Trimley St. Martin and the Coprolite Mining Rush.
11. ^ Coprolite Mining in Cambridgeshire.