XII.—On the Discovery of Coprolites, or Fossil Fæces, in the Lias at Lyme Regis, and in other Formations.

Buckland, William

doi:10.1144/transgslb.3.1.223

Cited by 86 publications

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“…Pollard (1968) reported 'buff coprolotic clay' masses within the body cavities of Lower Jurassic ichthyosaurs from Lyme Regis. Buckland (1835) identified similar material as phosphatic in composition and showed it to be derived from the digestion of fish and reptile bones.…”

Section: Description and Remarksmentioning

confidence: 96%

Unusual gut contents in a Cretaceous ichthyosaur

Kear

Boles

Smith

2003

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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Despite ichthyosaurs being one of the most extensively studied Mesozoic marine reptile groups, there is little documented direct evidence of dietary habits in most taxa. Here, we report the discovery of hatchling-sized marine protostegid turtle remains and an enantiornithine bird (in association with actinopterygian fish and phosphatic nodules) within the body cavity of a gravid female ichthyosaur (Platypterygius longmani ) from the Lower Cretaceous of Australia; this is the first evidence, to our knowledge, of feeding by ichthyosaurs upon both turtles and birds. The exceptionally preserved gut contents show little evidence of digestion, suggesting consumption shortly before the ichthyosaur's death. Poor swimming ability may have made hatchling turtles easy prey that could have been either swallowed whole or processed by shake feeding. Ingestion of bird remains probably occurred through scavenging. Opportunistic feeding on vertebrates is at odds with existing interpretations of dietary habits in Cretaceous ichthyosaurs, which favour predation primarily upon cephalopods. Such specialization is considered a contributing factor in the group's ultimate extinction. However, the evidence here that at least some forms were able to use a wide range of available food types suggests that the decline of ichthyosaurs in the mid-Cretaceous may be linked to other factors such as competition with ecologically analogous pursuit predators.

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Section: Description and Remarksmentioning

confidence: 96%

Unusual gut contents in a Cretaceous ichthyosaur

Kear

Boles

Smith

2003

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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“…Similarly, Pollard (1968) reported 'buff coprolitic clay' inclusions within the body cavities of Lower Jurassic ichthyosaurs from Lyme Regis, England. Buckland (1835) identified this (and other coprolitic remains) as the preserved remnants of digested organic material.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

First gut contents in a Cretaceous sea turtle

Kear

2005

Biol. Lett.

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Modern sea turtles utilize a variety of feeding strategies ranging from herbivory to omnivory. In contrast, the diets of fossil sea turtles are poorly known. This study reports the first direct evidence: inoceramid bivalve shell pieces (encased in phosphatic material) preserved within the body cavities of several small protostegid turtles (cf. Notochelone ) from the Lower Cretaceous of Australia. The shell fragments are densely packed and approximately 5–20 mm across. Identical shell accumulations have been found within coprolite masses from the same deposits; these are of a correct size to have originated from Notochelone , and indicate that benthic molluscs were regular food items. The thin, flexible inoceramid shells (composed of organic material integrated into a prismatic calcite framework) appear to have been bitten into segments and ingested, presumably in conjunction with visceral/mantle tissues and encrusting organisms. Although protostegids have been elsewhere interpreted as potential molluscivores, their primitive limb morphology is thought to have limited them to surface feeding. However, the evidence here that at least some forms were able to utilize benthic invertebrate prey indicates that, like modern sea turtles, protostegids probably exhibited a much broader range of feeding habits.

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“…It was here that Buckland first proposed the generic term “coprolite” to describe fossilized excrement (Folk, 1965). Although this research was not published until 1835 in the Transactions of the Geological Society of London (Buckland 1835), Buckland's interest in coprolites continued and his collection grew. Additional research and illustrations on coprolites were included in Buckland's 1836 Bridgewater Treatise (Buckland 1836).…”

Section: History Of Coprolites History Of Science In Science Classromentioning

confidence: 99%

A “Coprolitic Vision” for Earth Science Education

Clary

Wandersee

2011

School Sci & Mathematics

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William Buckland (1784–1846) first identified and scientifically studied coprolites in the early 1820s. Although some of his contemporaries did not look favorably upon him or his research, Buckland's early experiments advanced paleoecology and taphonomy. Because our informal presentations with coprolites resulted in students' spirited reactions, we investigated whether coprolite introduction, accompanied with its history of science, had potential for meaningful learning in K‐12 Earth Science classrooms. Practicing Earth Science teachers (N = 28) enrolled in an online paleontology course researched coprolites, identified potential student interest, and designed coprolite activities for their individual classrooms. Resulting projects were diverse and creative, and incorporated investigations into fossilization processes, paleoenvironments, food chains, and geologic time. In anonymous surveys, teachers indicated that their students' interest in coprolites is high. We propose inclusion of coprolites and their history in Earth Science classrooms as a portal to hook students' interest and as springboard to additional scientific topics.

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XII.—On the Discovery of Coprolites, or Fossil Fæces, in the Lias at Lyme Regis, and in other Formations.

Cited by 86 publications

References 0 publications

Unusual gut contents in a Cretaceous ichthyosaur

Unusual gut contents in a Cretaceous ichthyosaur

First gut contents in a Cretaceous sea turtle

A “Coprolitic Vision” for Earth Science Education

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