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.

But why is it named Barnum? The coprolite is named after 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.

RESEARCH

INNOVATION SCIENCE DISCOVERY IDEA HYPOTHESIS EXPERIMENT TECHNOLOGY ACCESS FUTURE INSPIRE

STEM

PHILANTHROPY IMPACT

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INVEST IN THE FUTURE

Orlando Science Center’s Corporate Partnership Program is a customizable sponsorship program designed with your company’s philanthropic priorities in mind. This unique program allows your company to support many areas of our mission, including workforce development and STEM education, while receiving year-round recognition through our exhibits, programs, publications, and special events.

Your Employees Benefit:

•Tickets to the Science Center and special events •Engagement and volunteer opportunities •Invitations to exclusive receptions and VIP events

Your Company Benefits:

•Reach an annual audience of 600,000+ •Logo recognition and advertisements •Support of workforce development through STEM education •Plus many more!

Your Community Benefits:

•Educational programs that bring STEM education to thousands across Central Florida •Development of new high-quality exhibits and experiences •Access for learners who experience OSC for free or reduced price •Increased youth participation from cradle to career

HELPING US GROW

On behalf of the entire Orlando Science Center, we would like to give a special thank you to Massey Services Inc. for their support of our Unlock Science comprehensive campaign. Through their incredible investment, the Science Center is better positioned to take a giant step toward achieving our bold vision of becoming our community’s strongest resource for family engagement, science education, and workforce development. We are truly grateful and celebrate the contribution of Massey Services Inc. as we grow and update our facility, exhibits, and public and educational programming.

We would like to thank Cornelia Bailey Foundation for selecting the Science Center as a two-time awardee for their Philanthropic Arts grant, which enhances KidsTown Creative Corner programming with hands-on arts education for early childhood and underprivileged learners. This year, our artistic programming will accompany the Design Zone exhibition, presented by the Macauley and Helen Dow Whiting Foundation, which highlights the relationship between mathematical thinking and the creative process. Children and their families will discover and practice mathematics and art to create take-home mosaic masterpieces. Community partners will share their expertise during workshops. We are proud to offer this new creative STEM programming with the generous support of Cornelia Bailey Foundation. Please join us in thanking Isermann Family Foundation for their support of our Catalyst youth volunteer and workforce development program. Each year, hundreds of teens participate in Catalyst, receiving a behind-thescenes look at STEM careers through volunteer and internship experiences with the Science Center and our community partners. Innovative programming and project-based learning, conducted virtually during the pandemic, resulted in Catalyst teens developing new resources for visitors to engage in STEM and inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility efforts. Thank you, Isermann Family Foundation, for helping grow and prepare a diverse future STEM workforce.

Our sincerest thanks to Duke Energy for their continued support of the Duke STEM Field Trips program. Thousands of elementary school students in Duke’s service area receive hands-on opportunities to learn and increase their interest in STEM concepts and careers each year. Duke STEM Field Trips provide a meaningful introduction to engineering design, scientific experimentation, and creative problem solving. With Duke Energy’s assistance, we are able to reach parts of our community that are underserved and provide access to students with barriers to participation who are often underrepresented in STEM fields. Thank you, Duke Energy, for providing such a valuable learning opportunity for our community.

THANK YOU TO OUR SCIENCE FOR ALL PARTNERS

We believe everyone should be able to engage in hands-on science learning and immersive experiences.

Each year, over 130,000 individuals, students, and families receive access to the Science Center through our Science For All program, which provides free and reduced-price admission, field trips, and scholarships. With the support of our generous partners, we are able to ensure that learners of all ages and backgrounds are able to explore the Science Center and engage in exciting, interactive STEM learning experiences.

Our Science For All access program allows EBT and WIC cardholders access to the Science Center at a low cost. Orlando Science Center is a member of the Museums for All program, an initiative of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. General admission includes all four floors of exhibits, educational and Hollywood films, and live programming during the Science Center’s regular daytime hours.

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ONR HELPS STUDENTS SOAR TO GREAT HEIGHTS

Given the success and popularity of our Flight Lab virtual reality exhibit, Orlando Science Center received additional federal funding from the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to create a mobile Flight Lab experience. We recently used this experience to engage middle and high school students in afterschool clubs like After-School All-Stars and Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida fun and impactful STEM learning.

Working with TEQGames, the Naval Air Warfare Center/ Training Systems Division (NAWC/TSD), and ONR, we developed three new Naval/Marine Corps-themed aviation missions and STEM education modules that are displayed for students on fifteen laptops. We collaborated with existing afterschool clubs, including those that reach students from lower-income households, Title I schools, and underserved areas of our regional community, to provide aviation-focused STEM education. In this way, we are bringing the power of our Flight Lab exhibit directly to middle and high school students.

Our programming will continue over two years to help develop the next generation of scientists, engineers, aviators, and technicians with workforce competencies that enable the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, and other areas of the Department of Defense to meet future mission objectives. There are currently 666,500 pilots in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and we hope in the future some will say they got their start in our mobile Flight Lab experience.