The BBC's new series Walking With Dinosaurs has sparked controversy due to the inclusion of a large fossilised piece of dinosaur excrement, or coprolite, which was showcased as though it was found at the dig site in Montana. While the first episode features impressive CGI and palaeontologists, the highlighted specimen was actually transported from the 'Poozeum' in Arizona. This 26.5-inch coprolite, known as 'Barnum', was discovered in 2019 and holds a Guinness World Record. Although not positioned as an excavation scene, the presentation may mislead viewers regarding its true origins.
The team has tracked down a remarkable fossil with a chilling tale to tell. It may look like a nondescript bit of rock but the shape and texture tell the experts this is a coprolite - fossilised faeces.
Despite the fossil being 'analysed' at the dig site - as others continue to excavate fossils right next to them - it was actually transported from over a thousand miles away.
The specimen is called 'Barnum', after the man who first discovered it at Hell Creek in 2019 - and holds a Guinness World Record for the largest coprolite by a carnivorous animal.
While producers do not attempt to show it being 'dug up' at the site, those watching would be forgiven for assuming it had been unearthed there and then by the on-screen researchers.
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