Coiled Carnivore Coprolite with Dentalites

Colonary Confection
Fossil Type: 
Composition: 
Location: 
Southeast coast
United States
US
Period: 

This coprolite looks like petrified soft serve. I challenge even the most skilled ice cream shop employee to make a more perfect swirl.  What's even more impressive is this was done hands-free! There are no inclusions, so this could be a somewhat loose crocodilian stool.  

Another interesting feature is the dentalites (tooth marks) on the surface. These are traces left by animals feeding or grazing on the surface of the fecal matter. We don't know if they were grazing on the fecal matter itself  or incidentally scraped the surface with their teeth while feeding on small organisms on or near the its surface.

This coprolite also gives us a peek at the ground on which it was deposited. There appears to be a shell (bivalve) impression on the bottom.

Coprolites of this type are often found by divers searching coastal rivers for megalodon teeth.  Best guess is that this dates between 2.6 and 15.9 million years ago.