A coprolite is fossilized poop. Yes, scientists really do study them, and yes, they really are some of the most useful fossils in the world. They tell us things skeletons never can - like what a dinosaur actually ate.
The biggest known dinosaur coprolite is over 2 feet long and was almost certainly produced by a T. rex. Inside, scientists found bone fragments still recognizable. That single piece of dino-poop is proof that T. rex didn’t just bite - it crushed bones and swallowed them whole.
Other coprolites have given us a peek at what plant-eaters ate: ferns, cones, leaves, sometimes even pollen and wood pulp. Coprolites have also preserved bits of parasites - meaning we even know what bugs dinosaurs got. They’re not glamorous, but they’re scientific gold.
