EXHIBITS
5 FUN FACTS ABOUT
FOSSILIZED FECES Drop in and explore the fascinating world of coprolites and dinosaur poop with our newest display! The Poozeum is a collection of some of the largest coprolites ever found and it’s so much more than a colorful complement to the existing dinosaur fossil displays in DinoDigs.
1. WHAT IS A COPROLITE?
Also known as fossilized feces, coprolites are very old pieces of prehistoric poop that have become fossilized over a very long time. Coprolites come in a variety of shapes and sizes and they have been discovered on every continent on earth.
2. COPROLITES ARE ACTUALLY INCREDIBLY RARE
Coprolites are quite rare because they tend to decay rapidly. The quicker an object is to decay, the less likely it is to successfully fossilize. Fossilization takes time, and if the whole thing decomposes before it can finish, well, no fossil. That’s why hard and durable objects, such as bones and teeth, are much more common fossils than soft tissues like hair, cartilage, or coprolites. When they are found, they are most commonly found among sea creatures.
3. YOU CAN MAKE AN AWESOMELY COLORFUL CAREER OUT OF IT!
Scatology is the study of fecal excrement, as in the fields of medicine, paleontology, or biology. Coprolites were first identified as fossilized feces by paleontologist Mary Anning in the early 1800s when she noticed odd stones near the remains of an ichthyosaur. Upon breaking them open, she noticed they had fragments of fossilized fish bones and scales. Today, archaeologists, paleontologists, and paleoscatologists study coprolites to learn more about a species’ diet, habits, and geography.
4. THE WORLD’S LARGEST COPROLITE HAS A NAME Meet Barnum! At over 2 feet long and 20 pounds, (or 67 centimeters and nearly 10 kilograms if we’re using the metric system) this eyewateringly huge T. rex coprolite earned its title in 2020.
Paleontologist Barnum Brown, who discovered the first Tyrannosaurs rex. Interestingly enough, Barnum Brown was named after P.T. Barnum, the American showman and Barnum & Bailey Circus founder.
5. WHAT KIND OF COPROLITE CAN YOU SEE ON DISPLAY? From dino dung to crocodile caca, over a dozen prehistoric poo-poos are currently on display. Specimens range in sizes and date back 11,700 to 200 million years ago. They were discovered all over the world, including some spots in Florida.
The Poozeum is on loan from the collection of George Frandsen, Explorers Club Fellow and dubbed the “King of Fossilized Feces.” He has spent his life, scouring the globe for these specimens, hoping his enthusiasm for coprolites inspires others to immerse themselves in prehistoric history.
But why is it named Barnum? The coprolite is named after 19
