Fossilised Dinosaur Dung

CONCEPTUAL

Science›Dinosaurs & Paleontology|Ages 7—9|ID: mt_1dXhJp6qLJ

Describe what coprolites are (fossilised dinosaur dung) and how palaeontologists analyse them to discover what dinosaurs ate, including plant fragments, bones, and seeds

Mastery Evidence

Define a coprolite as fossilised dung (animal droppings preserved as rock)
Explain that scientists cut coprolites open to find plant seeds, bone fragments, or fish scales inside
State one example of what coprolite contents reveal about a dinosaur's diet

Assessment Prompt

“Does [child] know what a coprolite is? Can they explain — with a giggle — how fossilised poo helps scientists figure out what a dinosaur ate?”

Prerequisites2

Types of Fossils
hardAges 7—9
Plant-Eaters vs Meat-Eaters
softAges 5—7

Show full prerequisite tree

Types of Fossils hard
Coprolites are a type of trace fossil — must understand the category first
- Fossils & Palaeontologists hard
  Must understand what fossils are before distinguishing body vs trace fossils
  - Dinosaurs Were Real hard
    Must understand dinosaurs are extinct before learning fossils are how we know about them
- How Fossils Form soft
  Understanding formation helps contextualise different fossil types
  - Fossils & Palaeontologists hard
    Must understand what fossils are before learning how they form in detail
    - Dinosaurs Were Real hard
      Must understand dinosaurs are extinct before learning fossils are how we know about them
  - Real Dinosaurs vs Fiction soft
    Understanding how fossils form (and that fossil evidence is the basis of dinosaur science) is enriched by the prior understanding that dinosaurs are real animals distinct from fictional or commonly-confused creatures — scientific reasoning starts from accurate categorisation
    - Famous Dinosaur Species hard
      Must know some dinosaurs before distinguishing them from non-dinosaurs
      - Dinosaurs Were Real hard
        Must understand dinosaurs existed before learning to name species
  - How fossils form soft
    Curriculum fossil formation topic (GB Y3) directly underpins detailed dinosaur fossil formation understanding
    - Properties of materials hard
      Must examine rocks before understanding how fossils form within rock
      - Grouping Materials soft
        Grouping materials by properties supports grouping rocks by properties
        
        Describing Material Properties hard
        Must describe properties before using them to group materials
        
        States of Matter Vocabulary soft
        Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
        
        Naming Everyday Materials hard
        Must name materials before describing their properties
        
        Objects vs Materials hard
        Must distinguish objects from materials before naming specific materials
    - Living, Dead & Never Alive soft
      Understanding living vs dead supports understanding what gets fossilised
      - Common Plants & Trees soft
        Knowing plant names helps distinguish living from non-living
      - Living Things Vocabulary hard
        Comparing living, dead, and never-been-alive things requires the life processes vocabulary to give reasons
      - Naming Common Animals soft
        Knowing animal groups helps distinguish living from non-living
Plant-Eaters vs Meat-Eaters soft
Understanding herbivore/carnivore classification helps interpret coprolite contents
- Herbivores, Carnivores & Omnivores soft
  Curriculum herbivore/carnivore/omnivore classification provides foundation for dinosaur diet sorting
  - Naming Common Animals hard
    Must identify animal groups before classifying by diet
- Famous Dinosaur Species soft
  Knowing common species helps when sorting them by diet
  - Dinosaurs Were Real hard
    Must understand dinosaurs existed before learning to name species
- Dinosaurs Were Real hard
  Must understand dinosaurs existed before classifying their diets

Unlocks1

How Palaeontologists Work
softAges 9—11