,

Coprolite, a.k.a. "Dino Poop" is indeed fossilized dinosaur, or other prehistoric animal dung, millions of years old. It is identified by its structure and content. Often it is spiral in form and contains undigested food fragments. By analyzing the content of coprolite, it is possible to understand the diet of the animal that produced it. Coprolites 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. Like other fossils, coprolites have had much of their original composition replaced by mineral deposits such as silicates and calcium carbonates. (sources: GeoCentral and Wikipedia) Photo by Michael Marcotte Return to List Back to Michael's Hobbies page Back to Michael Marcotte's HomePage