George Frandsen : “Poop Museum: Ancient Animal Tales”

WILLIAMS, Ariz. (AP) — A fascinating new museum has opened in Williams, Arizona, showcasing a unique collection of over 7,000 fossilized feces samples, known as coprolites, from prehistoric animals. The museum, aptly named the Poozeum, offers visitors a glimpse into the dietary habits of creatures like the Tyrannosaurus rex.

One of the standout exhibits at the Poozeum is a piece of fossilized excrement containing bone fragments, providing insights into how the T. rex digested its food. The discovery suggests that the T. rex was not a meticulous chewer, but rather swallowed prey in whole chunks.

The Poozeum, located in Williams, a town famous for its Wild West shows and attractions along Route 66, features a vibrant sign with a cartoon T. rex character sitting on a toilet, designed to grab attention amidst the neon lights and nostalgic music of the town.

Inside the museum, visitors can explore display cases filled with coprolites of various sizes, ranging from tiny termite droppings to a massive specimen weighing 20 pounds. The president and curator of the Poozeum, George Frandsen, has a passion for coprolites that dates back to his teenage years when he purchased his first fossilized feces sample in Moab, Utah.

Frandsen’s collection now includes approximately 8,000 specimens, with some displayed online due to space constraints in the museum. One of the highlights is a Guinness World Record-holding coprolite, believed to be from a T. rex, measuring over 2 feet long and 6 inches wide.

Despite the initial humour and novelty of coprolites, researchers like Anthony Fiorillo, executive director of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, emphasise their importance in understanding prehistoric ecosystems. Fiorillo highlights the significance of rare fossils that contribute to our knowledge of ancient life.

Fiorillo encourages public engagement with paleontology, citing opportunities for fossil hunting in Wyoming’s Fossil Basin and educational visits to Fossil Butte National Monument. He hopes that inspiring the next generation of scientists through fossil discoveries will further our understanding of the Earth’s history.