Scientists have unlocked secrets from ancient poop, showing how tiny molecules from long-gone animals survived millions of years. An Australian-led team studied 300-million-year-old fossilized droppings, called coprolites, to reveal clues about what prehistoric creatures ate, the worlds they roamed, and what happened to their bodies after death.
The research, out now in the journal Geobiology, focused on coprolites from the famous Mazon Creek fossil site in the United States. These ancient droppings already hinted at meat-heavy diets through cholesterol traces, but the new work dives deeper into how such fragile molecules beat the odds and fossilized over time.
Instead of the usual phosphate minerals locking in soft tissues, the team from Australia, the U.S., Sweden, and Germany discovered that minuscule grains of iron carbonate did the heavy lifting. These tiny particles act like microscopic time capsules, trapping and protecting the biomolecules from decay.
“It’s not just about the shape of fossils from extinct animals – they can capture chemical snapshots of life too,” said lead researcher Madison Tripp, an adjunct fellow at Curtin University’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences. Tripp compared it to finding a treasure chest: “The phosphate is the chest, but the real gems hide in the nearby pebbles.” This breakthrough sharpens our grasp on molecular fossilization, helping unlock more about Earth’s ancient past.
Curtin University professor Kliti Grice added that carbonate minerals have been safeguarding biological details across geological time. Her team’s broader look at various fossils – from different species, habitats, and eras – spotted the same reliable patterns in mineral-molecule preservation.
These insights let researchers zero in on the best spots for fossil hunts, boosting the odds of spotting ancient biomolecules. In turn, that paints a fuller picture of lost ecosystems, from animal diets and behaviors to how bodies broke down after death.
“It makes those prehistoric worlds come alive with molecular precision,” Grice said. The findings could spark more discoveries in paleontology and ancient life studies, giving us fresh views on how life evolved on our planet.
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