Tag

Coprolites

All articles tagged with #coprolites

science1 month ago•113 min saved

Ice-Age DNA Vault: Arctic Squirrel Poop Reveals Mammoths, Bison and More

A Yukon permafrost study shows 700,000-year-old Arctic ground-squirrel coprolites preserving a rich environmental DNA record, enabling reconstruction of mitochondrial genomes for woolly mammoths, steppe bison and other Ice Age species (including horses, wolves, a big cat, and plants), offering a detailed snapshot of ancient Beringia and its ecosystem while noting that some signals may come from the burrow contents rather than direct predator DNA.

via Live Science|

#ancient-dna #coprolites #ground-squirrels

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Ancient ground squirrels feasted on megafauna carcasses, DNA study uncovers

A 700,000-year-old DNA analysis of fossilized coprolites from the Klondike region reveals that after torpor, ancient ground squirrels ate a diverse diet including megafauna such as woolly mammoths, bison and big cats, and it uncovers a previously unknown ground-squirrel lineage along with what may be the oldest mammoth DNA.

via Nature|

#ancient-dna #coprolites #ground-squirrels

science1 year ago•3 min saved

Fossilized Poop and Vomit Reveal Dinosaurs' Rise to Dominance

Researchers have conducted an extensive study of over 500 fossilized dinosaur droppings, revealing that dinosaurs' dietary flexibility allowed them to dominate the Earth during the Triassic period. The analysis showed that early dinosaurs were opportunistic eaters, consuming a variety of foods like insects, fish, and plants, which helped them adapt to the changing climate and ecosystems as Pangea broke apart. This adaptability gave them an edge over more specialized species, leading to their rise as the dominant terrestrial animals.

via NPR|

#coprolites #dietary-adaptation #dinosaurs