Bulletin 57 New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science A Division of the DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS Vertebrate Coprolites edited by Adrian P. Hunt, Jesper Milàn, Spencer G. Lucas and Justin A. Spielmann Albuquerque, 2012 Hunt et al., eds., 2012, Vertebrate Coprolites. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Bulletin 57. 5 VERTEBRATE COPROLITE STUDIES: STATUS AND PROSPECTUS ADRIAN P. HUNT1, SPENCER G. LUCAS2, JESPER MILÀN3, 4 AND JUSTIN A. SPIELMANN2 1 Flying Heritage Collection, 3407 109th Street SW, Everett, WA 98204, e-mail:
[email protected]; 2 New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, 1801 Mountain Road NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104, e-mails:
[email protected],
[email protected]; 3 GeomuseumFaxe/Østsjællands Museum, Østervej 2, DK-4640 Faxe, Denmark, e-mail:
[email protected]; 4 Department of Geography and Geology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark Abstract—The history of study of vertebrate coprolites can be divided into four phases: (1) 1800-1890 – initial studies; (2) 1890-1910 – first bloom; (3) 1910-1950 – intermittent work; (4) 1950-1990 – maturing science (in archeology and Pleistocene coprolite studies); and (5) 1990 to present – maturing science (study of pre-Pleistocene coprolites). The oldest putative vertebrate coprolites are Ordovician in age. Few Silurian coprolites have been described, and some large coprolites of this age have been ascribed to eurypterids. Devonian coprolites are common, but poorly described. Mississippian vertebrate coprolites have been minimally studied, but they prob- ably represent the first relatively abundant coprofaunas. Several Pennsylvanian coprofaunas have been described. The Permo-Triassic seems to be an acme zone for coprolites as a result of their abundance in redbeds.