Trace fossil
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A trace fossil, also called an ichnofossil, is a fossil record of biological activity by lifeforms, but not the preserved remains of the organism itself. Trace fossils contrast with body fossils, whic
Chirotherium footprints in a Triassic sandstone
The trackway Protichnites from the Cambrian, Blackberry Hill, central Wisconsin
Cross-section of mammoth footprints at The Mammoth Site, Hot Springs, South Dakota
This coprolite shows distinct top and bottom jaw bite marks, possibly from a prehistoric gar fish. Discovery location: South Carolina, US; age: Miocene; dimensions: 144.6 mm × 63.41 mm (5.693 in × 2.496 in); weight: 558 g (1 lb 3.7 oz)
Coprolite
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A coprolite is fossilized feces. Coprolites are classified as trace fossils as opposed to body fossils, as they give evidence for the animal's behaviour rather than morphology. The name derives from A
Trace fossil
…may all be trace fossils. The term in its broadest sense also includes the remains of other organic material produced by an organism; for example coprolites (fossilized droppings) or chemical markers (sedimentological structures produced by biological means; for example, the formation of stromatolites…
A large coprolite of a carnivorous dinosaur found in Harding County, South Dakota, US
A large Miocene coprolite from South Carolina, US
Coprolites found on the Blahnita riverbed, Romania, showing a seed inclusion (right specimen)
A large coprolite from South Carolina, US