Image: Thecachampsa crocodile coprolite (Aquia Formation, Upper Paleocene; Potomac River shores, King George County, northeastern Virginia, USA)

Description: Thecachampsa crocodile coprolite from the Paleocene of Virginia, USA. Coprolites are fossilized fecal masses. They range in size from microscopic-sized pellets to moderately sizable dung piles. The most famous attributed examples are “Washington coprolites” from the Miocene Wilkes Formation of Washington State, USA. But these are now considered cololites (intestinal casts). True coprolites are fossilized dung. Thin sections of coprolites often reveal fragments of incompletely digested plant matter or sometimes undigested animal tissue. So, coprolite studies can provide information about the diet of ancient organisms, assuming the coprolite maker is known with some specificity (which is often not the case). This coprolite has been attributed to a Thecachampsa crocodilian. Stratigraphy: Aquia Formation, Upper Paleocene Locality: shores of the Potomac River, King George County, northeastern Virginia, USA Biogenic products are objects produced by ancient oragnisms. Many paleontologists refer to these as trace fossils, but they really aren't. Examples of fossil biogenic products include eggs, amber (fossilized tree sap), coprolites (fossilized feces), and spider silk.
Title: Thecachampsa crocodile coprolite (Aquia Formation, Upper Paleocene; Potomac River shores, King George County, northeastern Virginia, USA)
Credit: Thecachampsa crocodile coprolite (Aquia Formation, Upper Paleocene; Potomac River shores, King George County, northeastern Virginia, USA)
Author: James St. John
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
License: CC BY 2.0
License Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
Attribution Required?: Yes