Every parent that’s watched their children play with dinosaurs have all had the same thought at one time or another: thank God dinosaurs are extinct. While the idea of dinosaurs seems mythical to some, paleontologists have determined their existence through fossils since the 1820’s. As technology advances, and paleontologists uncover more dinosaur fossils, the science world is realizing how crucial dinosaurs were to their ecological environment. To better understand what dinosaurs ate, paleontologists are transitioning from observing tooth structures to something most individuals may find repulsive or uncanny: fossilized feces, otherwise known as coprolites.
More specifically, paleontologists are currently studying a 26.5 inch coprolite- the largest recorded fossilized dung- of a Tyrannosaurus rex (T.Rex) to uncover what kind of organisms they preyed upon. The reason paleontologists are so keen on examining coprolites compared to other fossils is because dung structures provide an in-depth look into their diet. Karen Chin, a paleo-ecologist and professor at the University of Colorado describes the coprolite search to be fascinating, “…they’re basically like receipts of transactions of carbon resources that are traveling through an ecosystem” (Scott et.al, 2023). Dr. Chin’s analogy breaks down the concept of coprolites and gently nudges at the importance of the molecular structure within coprolites, which allows researchers like Dr. Chin to identify likely organisms part of the food web.
Firstly, what does a coprolite consist of? In terms of their chemical composition, coprolites are mainly composed of calcium phosphate, a compound that allows the structure to be preserved (as they have been for millions of years). Externally, coprolites do not have a universal look- some are coiled or cylindrical while others have defined features that create an unwieldy look. Color wise, coprolites look…well one doesn’t need a description for that. As paleontologists continue studying the internal components of coprolites, a major breakthrough emerges. While analyzing coprolites of carnivorous dinosaurs, like the T.Rex and Spinosaurous, they discover intact bone fragments. This suggests that carnivorous dinosaurs ingested bones and that their digestive systems adapted to this lifestyle, as seen in the coprolites. Furthermore, coprolites are aiding scientific advancements in understanding the types of living organisms that lived during the Triassic to Cretaceous periods. Bone remnants have the potential to revolutionize how we comprehend dinosaur digestion in relation to their ecosystem.
The future implications of dinosaur coprolites are unimaginable; paired with the technology scientists develop for paleontologists to utilize, novel discoveries are on the up and coming. One of the many technological devices paleontologists are focusing on is the synchrotron microtomography, an X-ray machine that analyzes biological specimens (Sena et.al, 2022). These images provide paleontologists with a micro-analysis of the coprolites and make the process of tracking dietary habits easier. Not only can paleontologists identify the type of prey (animal or plant) but are able to answer the biggest question regarding dinosaurs: how did these creatures become the top predator of their food chain?
The search for possible solutions led paleontologists to discover herbivores and their reign among the food chain. They’ve discovered that dinosaurs who acquired plant-based diets were surviving, reproducing, and growing in size. Essentially, as carnivorous dinosaurs converted to herbivores and made their palate diverse, by the Triassic period, they could adapt to any type of environment. Coprolites played a major role in revealing this fact by displaying trace fossils of the animals herbivores hunted. (Pattison 2024). Herbivore coprolites are proving to be indispensable in the paleontologist world- who knows what other mysteries could be solved as more coprolites emerge. For years paleontologists have observed fossilized dinosaur teeth and even vomit as the primary methods of identifying dietary patterns. Now, they utilize dinosaur coprolites, or dung, with the help of innovative technology that is paving the way for thorough research like never before.
