Fossilised Dinosaur Dung
Describe what coprolites are (fossilised dinosaur dung) and how palaeontologists analyse them to discover what dinosaurs ate, including plant fragments, bones, and seeds
Teaching approaches
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1 approach
Does your child know what a coprolite is? Can they explain — with a giggle — how fossilised poo helps scientists figure out what a dinosaur ate?
Describe what coprolites are (fossilised dinosaur dung) and how palaeontologists analyse them to discover what dinosaurs ate, including plant fragments, bones, and seeds
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This concept
Check understanding
- Define a coprolite as fossilised dung (animal droppings preserved as rock)
- Explain that scientists cut coprolites open to find plant seeds, bone fragments, or fish scales inside
- State one example of what coprolite contents reveal about a dinosaur's diet
“Does your child know what a coprolite is? Can they explain — with a giggle — how fossilised poo helps scientists figure out what a dinosaur ate?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- Science
- Domain
- Dinosaurs & Paleontology
- Age range
- Ages 7–9