Fossil - Coprolite (Hybodus reticulatus)

Fossil - Coprolite (Hybodus reticulatus)

Cretaceous, Alba stage ca. 100.5-113.0 million years ago, Tegana formation, Taouz, Morocco. Size ca. 57mm x 35mm x 32mm. Weight ca. 63g.

A unique and small coprolite from a prehistoric shark (Hybodus sp.). A coprolite is fossilized feces. The word comes from the Greek words kopros (κοπρος), feces, and lithos (λιθος), stone. Coprolites can range in size from a few millimeters to ancient feces over 60 cm in size. Coprolite is an important source for paleontological, archaeological, and anthropological research, as it provides information about the diet of the organism that originally excreted the coprolite. The name "coprolite" was coined by the English paleontologist and geologist William Buckland, who first used the term in 1829. Coprolites (as distinct from fossilized human feces, so-called paleofeces), are fossilized animal dung. Like other fossils, coprolites have had their original composition replaced by a variety of minerals. Ancient human feces (paleofeces), on the other hand, retain much of their original organic composition and are therefore easier to study in terms of their chemical structure. However, the term "coprolite" is sometimes also used for human feces in archaeological studies.

Hybodus was an early genus of sharks that lived about 260 to 75 million years ago. Its fossils have been found on almost all continents. The largest species were about two meters long. Hybodus can be recognized especially by the spike protruding from the front of its dorsal fin. Hybodus was a clever and fast predatory fish. It had two types of teeth in its jaws. The front teeth were sharp-pointed, which were necessary for catching and tearing slippery prey, such as fish and squid. The back teeth were rounder and more robust, and they were excellently suited for crushing the shells of crustaceans and mollusks.

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