DINOSAUR "POOP" POINT
MADE BY DAN THEUS
MODERN
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COPYRIGHT APRIL 30, 2010 PETER A. BOSTROM

     This skillfully crafted corner notched point was made by Dan Theus. It was made from an especially colorful piece of fossilized dinosaur coprolite. The fossil had been cut in two pieces which showed the center had become agatized. The surrounding crust was cut away to extract the usable (knapable) stone. This point measures 3 9/16 inches (9.1 cm) long.
    Coprolites were first described by William Buckland in 1828 as the fossil remains of dinosaur feces. They are classified as trace fossils as opposed to body fossils because they give evidence for the animal's behavior rather than morphology. Coprolites are composed mainly of calcium phosphate and minor quantities of organic matter. They were transformed by replacing their original composition with mineral deposits such as silicates and calcium carbonates. Paleontologists consider this type of fossil important because they provide evidence of animal predation and the diets of extinct species. Inclusions in the stone can indicate the meal contents of the dinosaur. Coprolites range in size from under an inch up to almost 2 feet (60 cm) across.
 

Dinosaur coprolite point made by Dan Theus.

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