Faux Feces

Pseudo-coprolites, Salmon Creek, WA

Coprolite is  fossilized dung. (Greek : copros = dung, lithos = stone) It is a rare, but oddly compelling, fossil, especially if it can be shown to be from an exotic source, e.g. dinosaurs.

For many years, collectors have been finding what looked like coprolites in abundance along Salmon Creek in southwest Washington State.  I was there recently, and easily found dozens of these things.

However, most paleontologists say these are not coprolites at all, despite their similar morphology, but some sort of unexplained mineral deposit. Coprolites, it turns out, contain fossilized remains of plants (or bones and hair for the carnivores), or whatever the diet of the animal which left it.

These "psuedo-coprolites," by contrast, show no such structure, and their chemical signature is all wrong.

Too bad.  I think my grandson would love to have a piece of real dinosaur dung...!