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Getting the Dirt On Ancient Life With Coprolites

Posted by timothy on from the unpampered-lifestyle dept.

the_newsbeagle writes "Paleoscatologist Karen Chin knows you can learn a lot about ancient ecosystems by studying coprolites — fossilized feces. She has studied dino droppings from herbivores, and identified the types of plants those dinosaurs ate. She has identified T. rex turds, and found evidence that prehistoric dung beetles made use of those king-sized dino patties. This profile of Chin goes through her greatest hits, then focuses on her latest work, which sheds light on the reemergence of life after the K-Pg extinction event that brought down the dinosaurs... but left some surprising creatures unscathed."

8 of 51 comments (clear)

  1. Poop thread! by jeffb+(2.718) · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...and our distant descendants will gain the most accurate picture of us from our landfills, if we haven't already mined them out.

    1. Re:Poop thread! by flyneye · · Score: 2

      Actually landfill digging would be a wonderful exercise for an archaeology class. It would provide a good sharpening of their forensics and teach them to be careful,(watch out for that glass,razor blades, sharps etc) be aware of their environment (lookout! Gull attack!) and sharpen deduction skills (what is this fluid in this balloon-like structure?).

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      *Repent!Quit Your Job!Slack Off!The World Ends Tomorrow and You May Die!
    2. Re:Poop thread! by Sique · · Score: 2

      We do already from our ancestors. Old landfills are a bonanza for archaeologists. You only throw things on a landfill you have used before, and in the end, about 99% of all the things we ever made land in a landfill. A landfill is thus a concentrated overview of what we use, and how much of it we use. (And the dustbins of your enemy's premises are a goldmine for spy agencies. The real ones. Not the ones that just pile up large databases of every bit you send).

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      .sig: Sique *sigh*
  2. A complementary article by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 5, Informative

    There's another article on Karen Chin and the fossilized turds online, which complements TFA nicely

    http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/The-Poop-on-Dinosaurs-Menlo-Park-2950982.php

    On the other hand, Dr. Karen Chin's site at Colorado U turns up with a picture of a bison
    http://www.colorado.edu/geolsci/faculty/chin.html

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    Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
  3. It's by JustOK · · Score: 2

    It's turtle poop all the way down.

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    rewriting history since 2109
  4. Re:Happy Saturday/Sunday from The Golden Girls! by msk · · Score: 2

    "Y'all" is plural. "All y'all" is a greater/collective/encompassing plural.

    Compare with "we" versus "we all" or "they" versus "they all".

  5. Greatest what by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

    This profile of Chin goes through her greatest shits

    FTFY.

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    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  6. Re:Happy Saturday/Sunday from The Golden Girls! by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 2

    For extra entertainment value, try reading the above aloud, with various regional/national accents.

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    Il n'y a pas de Planet B.