More than Bullshit. Micromorphological investigation of coprolites. (original) (raw)
Coprolites are a common feature in archaeological sediments and represent an important source of phosphate and organic matter. Normally they are not preserved as a whole, but are fragmented, burned or partly dissolved. Since the 1980s, coprolites in different stages of preservation have been identified by micromorphological analysis (e.g. Courty et al. 1989). The IPAS (University of Basel, Switzerland) holds a substantial comparative collection of thin sections from recent and archaeological coprolites. With thehelp of micromorphological analysis, coprolites and weathered coprogenic materials can not only be recognized, but can often also be associated with the former producers. Thus shape, preservation, embedded components like plant remains, bone fragments, mineral grains or intestinal parasite eggs (Pichler et al. 2014) and groundmass characteristics permit to distinguish between herbivore excrements and such of omnivores or carnivores. Herbivore excrements are usually porous and consist mainly of poorly digested plant fragments, which are sometimes cemented by a brown to dark brown amorphous organic groundmass (especially in the fringe area). On the basis of plant fragment size, mineral components and texture, it is possible to distinguish between cattle, goat/sheep and herbivorous pigs in some cases. Carnivore coprolites on the other hand are characterized by a highly phosphatic, cemented and strongly autofluorescent groundmass. They can contain digested bone fragments, plant tissues, pseudomorphs of decomposed hair and fur as well as mineral grains. The state of preservation and the optical properties of coprolites mostly depend on the environment (dry or waterlogged conditions) and on taphonomic processes like weathering, firing etc.
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This paper explores some of the new perspectives resulting from re-examination of the pollen data from my 1978 comprehensive analysis of 100 coprolites from one of the earliest identified prehistoric latrines in North America. Of particular interest are the empirical results of previously unavailable pollen concentration calculations for some of the prehistoric specimens as well as a time-series of 82 modern fecal specimens produced during an experiment yielding data on the rate of elimination of specific pollen grains from the human system. Experimental data of all sorts are needed to extend coprolite analyses and interpretations, particularly from pollen-ingestion studies conducted with more volunteers over long periods of time. Parasitological studies of human coprolites will benefit from experimental data to determine the fate of the constituents of human feces ingested by dogs. The application of specialized techniques at the microscope, such as Intensive Systematic Microscopy ([Dean, G., 1998. Finding a needle in a palynological haystack. In: Bryant, V.M., Wrenn, J.H. (Eds.), New Developments in Palynomorph Sampling, Extraction, and Analysis. Am. Assoc. of Stratigraphic Palynologists Foundation., Contribs Series No. 33, pp. 53–59]), to locate and quantify rare pollen types needs to be explored. Easy and useful ways to express the abundance of macroremains in a coprolite are also needed.
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Coprolites, to put simply, are essentially preserved feces from animals that lived millions of years ago. Coprolites have garnered a great deal of attention since their discovery, and rightly so. Coprolites provide a unique window into the lives, diets, and behaviours of ancient creatures, as well as the ecosystems they once inhabited. Their importance among archaeozoological remains, however, has been dramatically underestimated. This essay will explore the significance of coprolites and the fact that they deserve greater recognition and exploration within the fields of paleontology and archaeology.
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