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Post by 1dave on Mar 28, 2024 8:04:02 GMT -5
That looks like a thunderegg! Thunder poo?
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hplcman
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Post by hplcman on Mar 28, 2024 8:32:57 GMT -5
The first thing I thought of was maybe that white area is a hunk of bone that the animal ate? Good guess but because of many other specimens with these features I've been able to put together numerous clues with some detective work and form an accurate hypothesis. On the above specimen you can see the ghost of a wood limb in the middle that's rather large. The growth rings aren't really well defined, but you can see the radial cracks emanating from the center typical of a limb. OK, that's one part of the story. The second part is that white structure. Detailed somewhere in the previous 162 pages of this thread we've been able to determine that anomalies like this are the burrows of dung beetle larvae that are filled with the excrement of the larva. Fossilized poo inside fossilized poo. It's interesting to note that the limb was not totally digested, and the larva deflected around the contour of the limb in its burrowing endeavor. WOW!!! I absolutely love that!! What an amazing world we live in.
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hplcman
spending too much on rocks
Just getting into this....
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Post by hplcman on Mar 28, 2024 8:38:57 GMT -5
The first thing I thought of was maybe that white area is a hunk of bone that the animal ate? Good guess but because of many other specimens with these features I've been able to put together numerous clues with some detective work and form an accurate hypothesis. On the above specimen you can see the ghost of a wood limb in the middle that's rather large. The growth rings aren't really well defined, but you can see the radial cracks emanating from the center typical of a limb. OK, that's one part of the story. The second part is that white structure. Detailed somewhere in the previous 162 pages of this thread we've been able to determine that anomalies like this are the burrows of dung beetle larvae that are filled with the excrement of the larva. Fossilized poo inside fossilized poo. It's interesting to note that the limb was not totally digested, and the larva deflected around the contour of the limb in its burrowing endeavor. Wait. So millions and millions of years ago an animal eats a branch and it doesn’t fully digest. Out it comes in some poop, which Mr. Dung Beetle comes along to deal with. In his travels through the pile he burrows into that partially digested branch, leaving behind a bunch of his own poop. And in the end it ALL becomes fossilized and wound up with you??? Again, I absolutely love that. It would be crazy to find a fossilized dung beetle in some coprolite some day.
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RWA3006
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Post by RWA3006 on Mar 28, 2024 9:47:24 GMT -5
Good guess but because of many other specimens with these features I've been able to put together numerous clues with some detective work and form an accurate hypothesis. On the above specimen you can see the ghost of a wood limb in the middle that's rather large. The growth rings aren't really well defined, but you can see the radial cracks emanating from the center typical of a limb. OK, that's one part of the story. The second part is that white structure. Detailed somewhere in the previous 162 pages of this thread we've been able to determine that anomalies like this are the burrows of dung beetle larvae that are filled with the excrement of the larva. Fossilized poo inside fossilized poo. It's interesting to note that the limb was not totally digested, and the larva deflected around the contour of the limb in its burrowing endeavor. Wait. So millions and millions of years ago an animal eats a branch and it doesn’t fully digest. Out it comes in some poop, which Mr. Dung Beetle comes along to deal with. In his travels through the pile he burrows into that partially digested branch, leaving behind a bunch of his own poop. And in the end it ALL becomes fossilized and wound up with you??? Again, I absolutely love that. It would be crazy to find a fossilized dung beetle in some coprolite some day. That's correct. Scientists have found dung beetles in coprolites, along with parasites and other hideous things.
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Post by 1dave on Mar 28, 2024 10:31:57 GMT -5
Good guess but because of many other specimens with these features I've been able to put together numerous clues with some detective work and form an accurate hypothesis. On the above specimen you can see the ghost of a wood limb in the middle that's rather large. The growth rings aren't really well defined, but you can see the radial cracks emanating from the center typical of a limb. OK, that's one part of the story. The second part is that white structure. Detailed somewhere in the previous 162 pages of this thread we've been able to determine that anomalies like this are the burrows of dung beetle larvae that are filled with the excrement of the larva. Fossilized poo inside fossilized poo. It's interesting to note that the limb was not totally digested, and the larva deflected around the contour of the limb in its burrowing endeavor. Wait. So millions and millions of years ago an animal eats a branch and it doesn’t fully digest. Out it comes in some poop, which Mr. Dung Beetle comes along to deal with. In his travels through the pile he burrows into that partially digested branch, leaving behind a bunch of his own poop. And in the end it ALL becomes fossilized and wound up with you??? Again, I absolutely love that. It would be crazy to find a fossilized dung beetle in some coprolite some day. I think we found one some time back. Can't remember where tho.
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hplcman
spending too much on rocks
Just getting into this....
Member since August 2022
Posts: 417
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Post by hplcman on Mar 28, 2024 10:43:16 GMT -5
Wait. So millions and millions of years ago an animal eats a branch and it doesn’t fully digest. Out it comes in some poop, which Mr. Dung Beetle comes along to deal with. In his travels through the pile he burrows into that partially digested branch, leaving behind a bunch of his own poop. And in the end it ALL becomes fossilized and wound up with you??? Again, I absolutely love that. It would be crazy to find a fossilized dung beetle in some coprolite some day. That's correct. Scientists have found dung beetles in coprolites, along with parasites and other hideous things. I want to know more about the hideous things!
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Post by rockjunquie on Mar 28, 2024 10:47:47 GMT -5
That's correct. Scientists have found dung beetles in coprolites, along with parasites and other hideous things. I want to know more about the hideous things! I don't want to see the pictures! LOL!
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Post by RickB on Mar 28, 2024 15:59:54 GMT -5
The first thing I thought of was maybe that white area is a hunk of bone that the animal ate? Good guess but because of many other specimens with these features I've been able to put together numerous clues with some detective work and form an accurate hypothesis. On the above specimen you can see the ghost of a wood limb in the middle that's rather large. The growth rings aren't really well defined, but you can see the radial cracks emanating from the center typical of a limb. OK, that's one part of the story. The second part is that white structure. Detailed somewhere in the previous 162 pages of this thread we've been able to determine that anomalies like this are the burrows of dung beetle larvae that are filled with the excrement of the larva. Fossilized poo inside fossilized poo. It's interesting to note that the limb was not totally digested, and the larva deflected around the contour of the limb in its burrowing endeavor. Randy, I think I can safely assume that the Hadrosaur that passed that log had a bad case of hemorrhoids. Alternate scenario - Mr. Hadrosaur died from a massive log jam. Beetles, other insects and scavengers then took over.
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RWA3006
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Post by RWA3006 on Mar 30, 2024 16:36:05 GMT -5
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RWA3006
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Post by RWA3006 on Mar 30, 2024 16:39:20 GMT -5
Ok, here's a cross section of some petrified wood from Wyoming's Blue Forest. Note the insect bore holes packed with petrified poo.
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RWA3006
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Post by RWA3006 on Mar 30, 2024 16:58:23 GMT -5
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chris1956
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Post by chris1956 on Mar 30, 2024 17:00:15 GMT -5
I am sure this has been said before. You are the master of petrified poo!
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RWA3006
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Post by RWA3006 on Mar 30, 2024 17:02:22 GMT -5
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RWA3006
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Post by RWA3006 on Mar 30, 2024 17:06:24 GMT -5
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RWA3006
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Post by RWA3006 on Mar 30, 2024 17:13:48 GMT -5
I am sure this has been said before. You are the master of petrified poo! Haha, what an honorary title! Actually I think Dr. Karen Chin is the rightfull owner of the honor.
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Post by rockjunquie on Mar 30, 2024 17:54:29 GMT -5
You've convinced me!
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RWA3006
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Post by RWA3006 on Mar 30, 2024 21:48:52 GMT -5
Here's a good example of a trail of larvae dung left in a tunnel in this coprolite slab. It's not brightly colored like many specimens but the structure is almost unmistakable.
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RWA3006
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Post by RWA3006 on Apr 2, 2024 6:59:29 GMT -5
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dillonf
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Post by dillonf on Apr 2, 2024 18:06:39 GMT -5
Very nice specimen!
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Post by jasoninsd on Apr 3, 2024 21:40:00 GMT -5
This thread is one of the most fascinating threads I've ever read!
We have pictures of petrified wood containing petrified poo...and pics of petrified poo containing petrified wood! Mind-blowing!!
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