Fossilised Dinosaur Dung · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Coprolites: Fossilised Dinosaur Poop

Science · Dinosaurs & Paleontology · ages 7-9
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Where do scientists look to find out what a dinosaur ate from a coprolite?

    • In the colour of the outside of the rock
    • Inside the coprolite
    • In a footprint nearby

  2. What is a coprolite?

    • A dinosaur's fossilised dung
    • A dinosaur's fossilised tooth
    • A dinosaur's fossilised egg

  3. A coprolite is fossilised dinosaur dung.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. A coprolite is full of tiny crushed bones. What does this tell scientists?

    • The dinosaur likely ate meat and bones
    • The dinosaur only ate leaves
    • The dinosaur never ate anything

  5. Which of these might a scientist find inside a coprolite?

    • Fresh green leaves
    • A whole dinosaur egg
    • Seeds and tiny bone fragments

  6. Why does a coprolite count as a fossil?

    • The dung stayed soft and squishy
    • The dung turned into rock over millions of years
    • The dung floated away in the air

  7. Mia says palaeontologists learn what dinosaurs ate by watching them eat. What is wrong with her idea?

    • No one has ever watched a live dinosaur eat; scientists study clues like coprolites instead
    • Coprolites cannot show what a dinosaur ate
    • Dinosaurs are still alive today, so scientists do watch them

  8. Ali finds a coprolite full of plant seeds and no bones at all. What is the best guess about that dinosaur's diet?

    • It probably ate meat and bones
    • It probably ate other dinosaurs
    • It probably ate plants
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Coprolites: Fossilised Dinosaur Poop W1-mt_1dXhJp6qLJ-s1

  1. Inside the coprolite · Scientists cut coprolites open or slice them thin to see what is hidden inside.
  2. A dinosaur's fossilised dung · Coprolite means fossilised dung: dinosaur droppings that turned to stone.
  3. True · That is exactly what a coprolite is: dung turned to stone.
  4. The dinosaur likely ate meat and bones · Crushed bone inside a coprolite is a clue that the dinosaur was a meat-eater.
  5. Seeds and tiny bone fragments · Coprolites can hold plant seeds, bone bits, or even fish scales that survived being eaten.
  6. The dung turned into rock over millions of years · Just like bones can turn to stone, buried dung can turn to stone too, becoming a fossil.
  7. No one has ever watched a live dinosaur eat; scientists study clues like coprolites instead · Dinosaurs died out long ago. Scientists study clues such as coprolites, teeth, and bones instead.
  8. It probably ate plants · Seeds inside a coprolite are a strong clue that the dinosaur was eating plants.
Worksheet · LightMySky