OLogy Cards > Seismosaurus

Clues to the Poopetrator
How do scientists know what—and how much—Seismosaurus ate? Some of the most important clues are the giant poops it left behind. Over time, animal poop, or dung, can fossilize. These remains are called coprolites (in Greek, kopros means "dung" and lithikos means "stone"). Coprolites are solid rock, but they contain important evidence that other fossils do not. If a coprolite contains partially digested plant material, such as leaves, seeds, or bark, chances are it was made by an herbivore. And if a coprolite has fossilized bits of bones, teeth, or muscle, the animal was probably a carnivore. These remains also provide information about the ecology of the animal's habitat. For example, if the coprolite contains the remains of a swamp-dwelling animal or plant, then the animal that produced the coprolite probably lived near a swamp.