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Coprolites

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Encyclopedia of Geoarchaeology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Definition

The word “coprolite” comes from the Greek words “kopros” (dung) and “lithos” (stone) and refers to fossilized feces or dung from ancient organisms, including human and non-human animals. Over time, under specific burial conditions, organic material in the feces can become mineralized, replacing the original material with minerals such as calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, or silica, and turning it into a durable fossil. Coprolites can also be preserved under arid conditions, through the process of desiccation. Most archaeological specimens are not truly fossilized, in comparison to paleontological specimens which are true fossils.

History of Coprolite Research

Early paleontologists and geologists often misinterpreted coprolites as concretions or rocks. In the early 1820s, British geologists William Buckland and Mary Anning were the first to correctly identify paleontological coprolites as fossilized feces. Buckland often visited Lyme Regis, where Anning made her living...

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Bibliography

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    Lisa-Marie Shillito & Lydia Gray

Authors
  1. Lisa-Marie Shillito
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  2. Lydia Gray
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lisa-Marie Shillito .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Sociology & Anthropology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA

    Allan S. Gilbert

  2. University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia

    Paul Goldberg

  3. University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA

    Rolfe D. Mandel

  4. University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal

    Vera Aldeias

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Shillito, LM., Gray, L. (2024). Coprolites. In: Gilbert, A.S., Goldberg, P., Mandel, R.D., Aldeias, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geoarchaeology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44600-0_267-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44600-0_267-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-44600-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-44600-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

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