Which dinosaur is responsible for the largest coprolite?

Holy Coprolite! Unearthing the Biggest Dino Doo-doo Ever

Okay, let’s be honest, fossilized poop isn’t exactly the first thing that springs to mind when you think about dinosaurs. But trust me, these ancient “dung stones,” as some affectionately call them, are a paleontologist’s goldmine! They’re like little time capsules, giving us a seriously up-close-and-personal peek into what these prehistoric giants were eating and how their ecosystems ticked. So, the burning question: which dino dropped the mother of all fossilized bombs? Drumroll, please… it looks like the crown goes to none other than Tyrannosaurus rex!

Meet Barnum: The T. Rex Turd That’s Gotten Seriously Famous

And when I say “biggest,” I mean biggest. We’re talking record-breaking, Guinness World Record-holding levels of colossal. This magnificent specimen, endearingly nicknamed “Barnum,” isn’t just any old fossilized poop; it’s a T. rex-sized deposit of epic proportions. Unearthed from the famed Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota, USA, this bad boy measures a whopping 26.6 inches long and 6.2 inches wide. Can you imagine?! Tipping the scales at a hefty 20.5 pounds, Barnum makes other coprolites look like mere rabbit pellets. Seriously, it’s HUGE.

You can actually see Barnum in person these days! He’s currently residing at the Poozeum (yes, that’s a real place, and yes, it’s dedicated to coprolites!) in Williams, Arizona. George Frandsen, the Poozeum’s founder, snagged Barnum in early 2020, dethroning a previous T. rex champ over at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. Talk about a royal flush!

So, How Do We Know It Came From a T. Rex’s… Rear?

Good question! You can’t just look at a pile of fossilized you-know-what and say, “Yep, that’s definitely a T. rex creation!” It takes some serious detective work. Luckily, in Barnum’s case, the evidence is pretty compelling:

• Location, Location, Location: The Hell Creek Formation is T. rex central. It’s practically littered with T. rex fossils. So, finding a massive coprolite in the same neighborhood is a pretty big clue. Plus, let’s face it, T. rex was the only carnivore in the area big enough to produce something this… substantial.
• Bone Appetit!: Inside Barnum, scientists found a ton of crushed bone fragments. This tells us that the dino who left this behind had some serious chompers and wasn’t afraid to crunch on bones – a T. rex specialty!
• Science to the Rescue: They also did some fancy X-ray fluorescence analysis (say that five times fast!). This revealed high levels of phosphorus and calcium, which is exactly what you’d expect to find in a carnivore’s… leftovers.
• Shape Matters: Last but not least, its long, cylindrical shape with a rounded top and flat bottom is consistent with fossilized feces.

Why Should We Care About Dino Dung?

Okay, I get it. Studying fossilized poop might sound a little… weird. But honestly, these things are pure gold for understanding the past! By dissecting coprolites, scientists can figure out what these ancient animals were eating, how their digestive systems worked, and even get a sense of the whole ecosystem they lived in. Imagine finding fossilized bones, scales, plant bits, or even parasites inside! It’s like a prehistoric buffet in fossilized form!

Barnum, the king of T. rex turds, is a fantastic reminder of just how massive and powerful these apex predators were. Its discovery continues to shed light on the Late Cretaceous period and the incredible dinosaurs that ruled the Earth. So, next time you hear someone mention fossilized feces, remember it’s not just about the poop jokes (although those are pretty great, too!). It’s about unlocking secrets of the past, one dung stone at a time.