Agatized Coprolite Specimen #107

Agatized Coprolite Specimen #107 Measures approx. 2 1/8" x 1 3/4" x 1 5/8" By formal definition, coprolites are the fossilization or preservation of the contents of the intestine and the excrement of organisms, or quite simply they are fossilized feces. Coprolites are quite rare because they tend to decay rapidly, but when they are found, they are most commonly found among sea organisms. Coprolites of fish and reptiles are especially common. Typically nodular or contorted in appearance, coprolites are composed of pulverized indigestible remnants of the organism's food, such as portions of scales, bones, teeth or shells, hence, they are very phosphatic in composition as well. These pulverized remains of food, otherwise known as "dung-stone," are preserved by process of petrification or cast and mold. They serve a valuable purpose in paleontology because they provide direct evidence of the predation and diet of extinct organisms. Coprolites may range in size from a few millimetres to o