Largest collection of fossilized feces in South Florida Museum

The South Florida Museum is now home to the largest collection of fossilized dung. The museum will feature George Frandsen’s Guinness World Records-certified collection of coprolite – fossilized feces –, which boasts 1,277 pieces.

The feces come from prehistoric reptiles and some carnivorous animals. Fossilized feces are rare because, unlike fossilized bones, they are soft and only fossilize in specific circumstances. The collection features poop from 15 different states and 8 different countries.  

“People who have been saving poop jokes for 20 years will have a chance to use them,” South Florida Museum Education Director Jeff Rodgers said in a statement. “But the right kid is going to walk into the museum, and the spark is going to go off: He’ll see science in a whole different way. Poop is just so interesting in lots of ways, and it’s beautiful in many ways. And I never thought I’d hear myself say that in public.”

Although this exhibit features a subject that some may find gross, it allows people to look into the past by considering what is left behind. Studying coprolite helps scientists gather information about the diets, activities and lifestyles of prehistoric animals.

Tickets for “The Amazing Coprolite Collection” are $19 for adults. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, excluding the first Saturday in November, as well as national holidays.

 

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