Coprolite
by Cheryl McClure
Title
Coprolite
Artist
Cheryl McClure
Medium
Photograph - Acrylic On Paper
Description
Nope, it’s not painted from a dipped cone at Dairy Queen! Nope, it’s not a snail! So… if you’re not a fossil hunter, hang on and I’ll explain! And if you think this looks like something else, I’ll take that as a compliment!!
As a fossil hunter one of my prized possessions is coprolite (fossilized poop!) and in this case, one that most likely came from a mosasaur. I retrieved it from the North Sulphur River in the Ozan Formation, North Texas. This particular chunk had a definitive round shape, common to mosasaur poo. The broken end underneath, has a shiny dark surface while the outside is dull and reddish in color with a tiny bumpy inclusion on the opposite end. A lot of times when you find mosasaur coprolite you’ll see remains of fish pieces embedded in it. They are not always in this smooth form; sometimes they’re a big blob like… well, you know. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting fossil that tells a story about the creature that consumed and digested other creatures it preyed upon.
Uploaded
September 23rd, 2022
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