Clash: The fossilised faeces, or coprolites, is believed to have come from a prehistoric crocodile that was attacked by a sharkPalaeontologists have revealed ancient fossilised faeces which they believe points to an ancient fight to the death between a shark and a crocodile millions of years ago.
The 15 million year-old fossilised faecal matter, or coprolites, are each the size of a fist and bear clear impressions of prehistoric shark teeth.
Professor Stephen Godfrey, 50, who is curator of palaeontology at the Calvert Marine Museum in Maryland, said the discovery is one of three of its kind in existence
He said: 'I have never seen anything like this before.
What we think has happened is that the prehistoric shark, which bears close relation to today's Tiger shark, has done of of three things.
'It began eating the turds, but then thought better of it or was just nosing about, bit into the faeces and for reasons unknown, did not ingest them.
'Or more interestingly it bit into the faeces-filled abdomen or dismembered intestines of a prey animals, alive or dead, leaving the tooth impressions in the faeces that subsequently sank to the bottom of the ocean and fossilised.'
The coprolites were discovered six years ago by a local collector along the western shore of Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.
Tussle: Experts say the shark either bit into crocodile faeces 15 million years ago or left the impression of its teeth after biting the reptile's abdomenProfessor Godfrey said: 'Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in North America and the ranges are around 18 million years old.
'These fossils are around 15 million years old and are immediately recognisable in their colour, texture and density as waste.
'So I knew right away that this item was a coprolite but that it had shark tooth impressions.
'The tooth impressions were not vague, but clear crisp natural moulds of the original teeth.'
He added: 'We joke around here that this kind of research might have left us with a bad taste in our mouths.'
The fossil has been published in science journal Naturwissenschaften and will now be displayed at Calvert Museum.
Predator: The fossil is placed next to a rubber cast of the shark teeth. It was discovered by a local collector at Chesapeake Bay, Maryland source: dailymail
Posts
