coprolite

Coprolite is the name given to the mineral that results when human or animal dung is fossilized. The name is derived from the Greek words κοπρος/kopros meaning 'dung' and λιθος/lithos meaning 'stone'. It serves a valuable purpose in paleontology because it provides a picture of an early organism's diet and environment.^[1] Coprolite may range in size from the size of a BB all the way up to that of a large appliance. ^[2]

Research value

By examining coprolite, paleontologists are able to determine what animal the dung came from, whether or not it was a herbivore, and what species they fed on.^[3] 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.^[4] In another example, the existence of human proteins in coprolite can be used to pinpoint the existence of cannibalistic behavior in an ancient culture.^[5]

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. Some of them are useful as index fossils, such as Favreina from the Jurassic period of Haute-Savoie in France.

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. The extraction occurred over the east of England, centered around Cambridgeshire and the Isle of Ely ^{[6] [7]} with its refining being carried out in Ipswich by the Fison Company.^[8] Today, there is a Coprolite Street near Ipswich Docks where the Fisons works once stood.^[9] The industry declined in the 1880s ^{[10] [11]} but was revived briefly during the First World War to provide phosphates for munitions.^[12]

See also

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

References

1. ^ coprolites - Definitions from Dictionary.com.
2. ^ World's largest dino dung.
3. ^ The Wonders of Dinosaur Dung - Sepia Mutiny.
4. ^ Dung Fossils Suggest Dinosaurs Ate Grass.
5. ^ Ancient Site Holds Cannibalism Clues: Science News Online, September 9, 2000.
6. ^ Coprolite Mining in Cambridgeshire.
7. ^ Cambridgeshire - The Coprolite Mining Industry.
8. ^ Coprolite Mining in Cambridgeshire.
9. ^ Coprolite Street.
10. ^ Cambridgeshire - The Coprolite Mining Industry.
11. ^ Trimley St. Martin and the Coprolite Mining Rush.
12. ^ Coprolite Mining in Cambridgeshire.

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