A remarkable discovery was made at Denmark’s Stevns Klint Coastal Cliffs, a UNESCO-heritage site south of Copenhagen. Amateur fossil enthusiast Peter Bennicke stumbled upon ancient sea lily fragments while on a casual walk, sparking further examination by experts.
Upon closer inspection, the fragments were found to be pieces of fossilized vomit that date back 66 million years. The vomit belonged to a fish that dined on two different species of sea lily but was unable to digest them, leading it to regurgitate the skeletal parts.
This rare find sheds new light on the diets of prehistoric creatures and provides crucial information about ancient food webs. By analyzing fossilized vomit, paleontologists can piece together past ecosystems with greater accuracy. The discovery reveals that some fish species were more opportunistic feeders than expected, consuming whatever was available in their environment.
The Stevns Klint Coastal Cliffs are already famous for their rich fossil record from the end-Cretaceous period. This latest find challenges assumptions about sea lilies being unappealing to marine predators and raises intriguing questions about a fish’s digestive abilities and evolution of specialized features. As researchers continue to uncover new finds, they inch closer to understanding the daily lives of prehistoric creatures and recreating a more vivid picture of the past.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/66-million-year-old-fossilized-vomit-gives-clues-to-prehistoric-diets