Public Palaeobiology Talk: Dr. Karen Chin (University of Colorado)

A Dung’s Eye View of Dinosaur Life during the Late Cretaceous

Dr. Karen Chin (University of Colorado, Boulder)

William A. S. Sarjeant Seminar Series in Palaeobiology

Most people are familiar with fossil bones, shells, wood, and leaves, but fewer people know that ancient dung can also be fossilized.  Indeed, coprolites (fossil feces) can shed light on trophic interactions in ancient communities, the feeding behavior of extinct animals, and the movement of carbon resources through paleoecosystems.  A rare assemblage of fossilized feces from the Upper Cretaceous Kaiparowits Formation of southern Utah in the United States reveals surprising dietary residues that challenge common assumptions about the feeding behavior of large herbivorous dinosaurs.  This discovery points to feeding habits that we rarely see in the biggest herbivores living today and reminds us of fundamental differences in life history strategies between megaherbivorous mammals and dinosaurs.  It also demonstrates that we still have much to learn about ancient ecosystems.

Wednesday, April 2nd at 6:30 PM in Physics 107
Location: Physics 107