# @nationalparkservice on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DeffZYEnW7P
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/71663463-nationalparkservice-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/bc295afdd5.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-10-14T22:47:19.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** National Park Service (@nationalparkservice) — https://gondola.cc/nationalparkservice

## Caption

Yeah, we’re coprolite-posting again. 

Coprolites are fossilized poops. We said it. The word coprolite comes from the Greek words kopros, meaning dung, and lithos, meaning stone. They aren’t our favorite type of fossil, but they’re a solid number two. 

Coprolites may be the butt of many jokes, but they’re also a valuable source of information about the past. These fossilized droppings provide direct, physical evidence of ancient life, including what animals ate, how they lived, and what their environments were like. Teeth and bones can tell us what an animal could eat. Coprolites tell us what it actually managed to get down.

Fish scales, bone fragments, teeth, plant material, pollen, and shells can all survive the journey through an ancient animal’s digestive system. It’s essentially a prehistoric lunchbox, only considerably less appetizing. Scientists examine these remains, along with the shape and internal structure of the coprolite, to work out how an animal digested food, what it hunted or foraged, and whether it preferred meat or plants. Even ancient sharks had their own distinctive digestive plumbing, including spiral valves.

So the next time someone tells you to stop talking coprolite, remind them that it’s an important part of the fossil record. 

Image 1: NPS
Image 2: petrifiedforestnps 
Images 3-7: fossilbuttenps 

#NationalFossilDay

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## Credits

These are the roles credited on Gondola. Credits may be incomplete.
A brand, account owner, or featured person is not necessarily the creator.

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| National Park Service | @nationalparkservice | https://gondola.cc/nationalparkservice | Government Organization |

## Tags

nationalfossilday

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